Symphony and cacophony in ion track etching: how to control etching results

Abstract

In general, etching of two identical ion-irradiated polymer foils in the same vessel with the same etchant for the same times does not lead to identical track shapes in both foils. In contrast, the track shapes, the etching speeds, and consequently also the etchant consumption of the two foils diverge increasingly with increasing etching times, unless this is prevented by forceful external equilibration of the system. This tendency toward divergence of a system of multiple ion tracks originates from its lack of self-synchronization during etching. A theory has been developed for this case that also shows general applicability to other diverging effects in human life.

Keywords:

• ion tracks
• polymers
• etching
• diodes
• resistances

Acknowledgements

D.F. thanks the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, México City, for the guest professorship in the frame of the Cathedra Marcos Menzer Mazari. We are especially obliged to Prof. J.C. Terán and Mr N. Camarillo from UAM – Cuajimalpa and – Iztapalapa, Mexico, for their continuous help and for providing us with adequate working facilities. J.V. and D.F. acknowledge the support from the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Research project no. IAA 200480702) for performing the nuclear analyses at the Nuclear Physics Institute in Øež, Czech Republic. We are further obliged to Dr P. Apel from JNRI Dubna, Russia for providing us with the ion-irradiated polymer foils and we want to thank Prof. L. Alfonta from BGU Beer Sheva, Israel, for many encouraging discussions that led us to the idea to prepare the complex polymer/electrolyte systems to which this work refers.