Oxygen incorporation in polyethylene implanted with 150 keV Sb⁺ ions

Samples of polyethylene (PE) loaded with carbon black up to 8 wt.% and implanted with 150 keV Sb⁺ ions to the doses from 2×10¹³-2×10¹⁵ cm^-2 were studied using standard Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) technique. On the PE samples implanted to the doses above 2×10¹⁴ cm^-2, a considerable surface carbonization is observed. The measured parameters of the Sb depth profile are compared with theoretical TRIM estimations. The projected range is by 25% lower than the theoretical one and the range straggling is about twice of that predicted. The differences are explained by stepwise polymer degradation during the ion bombardment. Strong oxidation of the ion implanted polymers is also observed. The oxygen depth profiles from the sample surface up to the depth comparable with Sb⁺ ion range evolve from nearly uniform one for low ion doses to highly non-uniform one for doses above 1×10¹⁵ cm^-2. The total oxygen content in the sample surface layer 300 nm thick reaches a maximum for the doses of (1-2)×10¹⁴ cm^-2.