Nanoscale ripples on polymers created by a focused ion beam

We show that focused ion beam irradiation results in the creation of peculiar one- and two-dimensional nanoscale features on the surface of polyimide-a common polymer in electronics, large scale structures, and the automobile industry, as well as in biomedical applications. The role of ion beam incident angle, acceleration voltage, and fluence on the morphology of the structural features is systematically investigated, and insights into the mechanisms of formation of these nanoscale features are provided. Moreover, by using the maskless patterning method of the focused ion beam system, we have developed a robust technique for controlled modification of the polymeric surface. The technique, which is analogous to using a gray glass with varying darkness to control the radiation from the sun, but at a much smaller scale, enables the ion intensity and angle to be controlled at each surface point of the polymer, giving rise to structural surface features with desired shape and morphology.