Ion track

Ion tracks are damage-trails created by swift heavy ions penetrating through solids, which may be sufficiently-contiguous for chemical etching in a variety of crystalline, glassy, and/or polymeric solids. They are associated with cylindrical damage-regions several nanometers in diameter and can be studied by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) or gas permeation. Ion track technology deals with the production and application of ion tracks in microtechnology and nanotechnology. Ion tracks can be selectively etched in many insulating solids, leading to cones or cylinders, down to 8 nanometers in diameter. Etched track cylinders can be used as filters, Coulter counter microchannels, be modified with monolayers, or be filled by electroplating. Ion track technology has been developed to fill certain niche areas where conventional nanolithography fails, including: Direct shaping of radiation-resistant minerals, glasses and polymers Generation of elongated structures with a limit down to 8 nanometers Direct generation of holes in thin films without any development process Defining structural depth by ion range rather than by target thickness Generating structures with aspect ratio (depth divided by width) up to 104. Shaping rigid and flexible materials at a defined cutting angle Exploring the realm of aligned textures with defined inclination angles Generation of random patterns consisting of partially overlapping single tracks Generation of large numbers of individual single track structures Generation of aimed patterns consisting of individual single tracks The class of ion track recording materials is characterized by the following properties: High homogeneity: Local density variations of the pristine material must be small in comparison to the density deficit of the ion track core. Optically translucent materials, such as polycarbonate and polyvinylidene fluoride, have this property.