Creation mechanism of pores by ion beam modification of fluoropolymer film membranes

Producing structures in membranes at the nanometer scale can serve several applications such as to localize molecular electrical junctions and switches, and to function as masks. In previous work we demonstrated the fabrication of porous membranes in masked fluoropolymer films using scanned ion beam bombardment. The process dispenses the use of time consuming chemical and etching processes. Here we report on the creation mechanism of pores using ion bombardment. Aspects of the ion beam interaction with matter are explained as well as an analysis of the shape of the fabricated structures. The pores were produced using our feedback controlled ion beam apparatus and were analyzed using optical and atomic force microscopic (AFM) analyses.