Metal-polymer nanocomposites by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition technique

• Main Author: Han, Zhao Jun
• Other Authors: Tay Beng Kang
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Nanoelectronics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/18691
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII&D) is used to fabricate metal-polymer nanocomposites with metal nanoparticles with sizes of 5 – 20 nm embedded in a polymer matrix. Because of quantum confinement effects from these metal nanoparticles as well as their interactions with the surrounding polymer matrix, metal-polymer nanocomposites possess novel mechanical, electrical, optical and biomedical properties that are not obtainable in their bulk forms. This thesis is dedicated to the fabrication, characterization, application and stability of these high performance polymers. PIII&D applies a negatively pulsed bias voltage in the range of 1 – 50 kV to the substrate. Together with metal plasmas generated from a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) system, various types of metal-polymer nanocomposites have been fabricated. The formation of metal nanoparticles is controlled by the cooperative effect of ion implantation and ion condensation incorporated in the PIII&D process, resembling conventional ion beam mixing (IBM).