Effect of ion irradiation on properties of polyphosphazene-silica composite films

This paper reports the first measurements of the composition, hardness and optical properties of polyphosphazene-silica hybrid materials submitted to heavy ion irradiations. Their hardness, established by means of nanoindentation tests, increases progressively as an amorphous three-dimensional network is built and it saturates at a value slightly lower than for pure polymers. Their spectra of optical absorption in the visible range have been determined by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry. Being typical of insulators in the as-grown state, they become progressively amorphous semiconductors under the effect of ion irradiation, but never metallic-like as would be the case if the polymeric part was transformed into amorphous carbon. The silica component segregates at high irradiation fluences.