Piezoelectric Properties of the PVDF Track Membranes

The piezoelectric properties of thin polyvinylidene fluoride films with a thickness of 9 μm were studied after irradiation with fast heavy ions Ne, Xe, and Bi with a fluence of about 109 ions/cm2. The effect of Xe ion fluence in the range from 105 to 1010 ions/cm2 on the piezoelectric characteristics of PVDF was also studied. The results showed that irradiation with high-energy ions promotes the formation of the piezoelectric module d33 in PVDF films. This effect is due to thermal and structural transformations caused by heavy ions. Additional polarization in the electric field of a negative corona discharge leads to an enhancement of the piezoelectric response. At the same time, chemical etching causes an exponential decrease in the value of d33, which may be associated with the destruction of β-phase areas and an increase in conductivity along ion tracks, leading to charge leakage and a decrease in residual polarization.