PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL IMPLICATIONS OF 100 KEV H-ABLATED PPS THIN-FILMS( IMPLANTATION OF LASER)

Structural and chemical investigation for the laser ablated Poly (Phen ylene Sulfide) (PPS) films upon 100 keV H+ implantation is reported he re for the first time. PPS thin films were fabricated by laser ablatio n with a Nd:YAG laser as a source of visible photons (532 nm). The las er ablated thin films showed strong polymer breakdown resistance upto a total fluence of 10(15) ions/cm(2). Bulk properties of the as-deposi ted and the implanted samples were investigated using FTIR and UV-VIS spectroscopy. Drastic reduction in the intensity of all characteristic vibrational frequencies in the FTIR spectrum at higher doses revealed the transformation of the polymer to a conjugated carbonaceous materi al. UV-VIS studies showed a positive shift in the absorption edge valu e for the as-deposited polymer towards higher wavelengths and destruct ion of phenyl ring due to the H+ bombardment. X-ray Photoelectron Spec troscopic (:XPS) investigation indicated the sulfur depletion as a pro minent phenomenon whereas carbon content remained almost the same. XPS studies of the implanted sample also revealed a minor change in the o xidized species of carbon and more prominent change in oxidized specie s of sulfur which were present in the as-deposited samples. A peak at 283.4 eV attributed to 'surface reconstruction' in the XPS analysis fo r the as-deposited PPS film disappeared after proton implantation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.