ELECTRICAL-RESISTIVITY OF POLYMERS MODIFIED BY ION IRRADIATION

The implantation of 150 keV Sb+ ions to doses from 5 X 10(12) to 1 X 1 0(15) cm-2 into polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) and polybutylenetereph thalate (PBT) was studied. The sheet resistivity of the ion beam modif ied polymers was found to be a decreasing function of the implanted do se with more significant decrease being observed on the PET samples. T he latter observation is in correspondence with UV-VIS measurements pr oving higher production of conjugated double bonds in PET comparing to PBT. The dissimilar behaviour of PET and PBT is explained by a differ ent number of methylene groups in polymer chains. Approximately the sa me thickness of the layer modified by ion implantation was found in Ru therford back-scattering (RBS) measurements for both polymers. A varia ble range hopping mechanism is tentatively suggested to be responsible for the electrical charge transport.