**4. Conclusions**

revealed the change of slope of the linear regression line of *I*-*V* dependence at 360 K. It means that the as-implanted samples have created a very thin conductive layer or conductive joints due to carbonization processes or formation of carbon nanostructures in consistent with the

**PMMA B:PMMA**

**PMMA B:PMMA**

**(3.75 × 1016 ions/cm2 )**

**(3.75 × 1016 ions/cm2 )**

**B:PMMA (5.0 × 1016 ions/cm2 )**

**B:PMMA (5.0 × 1016 ions/cm2 )**

> ) B+ -

results of slow positron beam and Raman spectroscopy measurements [36, 43].

Slope −5.85E-15 4.79E-14 2.18E-14 Error 2.64E-14 2.64E-14 3.56E-14 CC 0.008 0.07 0.02 SD 3.59E-12 3.68E-12 4.98E-12

Slope 2.88E-16 7.96E-13 8.68E-13 Error 1.62E-15 2.71E-14 2.53E-14 CC 0.007 0.73 0.79 SD 2.77E-13 3.77E-12 3.53E-12

**Table 3.** The evaluated values of *I*-*V* measurements of PMMA and B:PMMA with higher fluences (3.75 × 1016 and 5.0 ×

A first time the results of investigation of the influence of low dose (6.25 × 1014 ions/cm2

ion-irradiation on the mechanical properties (hardness and elastic modulus) of PMMA probed by nanoindentation with UNHT in the range of 300–1100 nm indentation depth have been reported in [45]. It has been established that the hardness and elastic modulus versus maximum indentation depth illustrate the main difference between the un-implanted (pristine) and ionimplanted samples in the range up to about 400 nm. The same value of the maximum pene‐

a continuation of the nanoindentation test of the B:PMMA, the averaged values of indentation hardness versus maximum indentation depth for the un-implanted and as-implanted samples with ion doses of 6.25 × 1014, 1.25 × 1016, 2.5 × 1016, and 3.75 × 1016 ions/cm2 are plotted in **Figure 9**


linear regression, CC is correlation coefficient, and SD is standard deviation of the linear regression [43].

) at temperatures 300 and 360 K: Slope is value of slope of line of linear regression, Error is the error of

**Parameters of linear regression Temperature 300 K**

**Parameters of linear regression Temperature 360 K**

1016 ions/cm2

300 Radiation Effects in Materials

tration depth of B+

[46].

**3.6. Nanoindentation test data**

The formation of carbon nanostructures has been confirmed for the B:PMMA samples irradiated with higher ion fluences (>1016 ions/cm2 ) and the experimental results of the comprehensive study have been found to be in a good agreement with SRIM simulation results. It is expected that the results obtained for low-energy B+ -ion implantation into PMMA will have impact on research and development in the fields of nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanooptoelectronics, in particular, to be potentially of interest for fabrication of organic luminescent devices, backlight components in liquid crystal display systems, diffractive elements and microcomponents for integrated optical circuits, solar cells, waveguides, etc. similarly as it has been foreseen for low-energy C+ , N+ , and Ar+ -ion implantation into PMMA [29, 30].
