Speaker
Description
Radiation effects in polymers span a wide range of chemical and structural modifications, depending on the energy deposited by the ion and on the dimensions of the material. Our research has focused on polymer thin films as model systems for investigating these effects under controlled conditions of film thickness and ion irradiation. Over the past years, we have explored a broad range of electronic stopping powers, from low-dE/dx ions to swift heavy ions, together with different polymer systems and film thicknesses down to the nanometer scale. This approach has enabled the investigation of ion-track formation, bond breaking, substrate effects, and irradiation-induced thinning within a common framework. Different aspects of the radiation response emerge depending on the irradiation regime and film dimensions. In particular, chemical damage and material loss do not necessarily follow the same thickness dependence. XPS, FTIR, AFM, and AFM-IR have therefore been used as complementary probes of chemical composition, molecular modification, film-thickness evolution, and spatially resolved damage. Recent results further show that damage cross sections derived from these techniques can exhibit different thickness dependences, raising questions about the relationship between the measured response and the underlying microscopic processes. These observations motivate broader studies of radiation effects in confined materials, where the interplay between energy deposition, material dimensions, interfaces, and chemical response remains to be fully understood. Addressing these questions through complementary experimental approaches and expanded ranges of materials, geometries, and irradiation conditions may provide new insight into radiation-induced processes at reduced dimensions.