Surface Modification of Several Plastics by Low-Energy Electron Beam Irradiation

摘要

Polymers undergo both crosslinking and degradation (scission) simultaneously if they are exposed to radiations. Relative ratio of crosslinking to scission depends on polymer structure as well as radiation type. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), known as a radiation-degrading polymer, is widely used as a positive resist in electron-beam lithography or ion-beam lithography. Both electron beams and ion beams reduce the molecular weight of PMMA, which leads to an increase of the solubility in solvents and a decrease of the mechanical hardness.