Mechanical and optical characteristics of multilayer inorganic films on polyimide for anti-atomic-oxygen erosion

Multilayer inorganic silica/alumina films with excellent mechanical, optical and anti-atomic-oxygen erosion characteristics were fabricated by the hybrid implanting and depositing processes of Al/Si plasmas on polyimide. The multilayer films exhibited an excellent mechanical stability, demonstrating that balanced internal stresses and alternating bonding structures were crucial for enhancing mechanical stability. The multilayer inorganic films exhibited higher optical transmittance. The slight change surface morphology and high mechanical stability of polyimide covered with multilayer silica/alumina films suggest that the techgnique used is an effective method to protect polymer materials which are applied to thermal control system of spacecrafts in low Earth orbit. Highlights ► Multilayer inorganic films were fabricated for protection against atomic oxygen in LEO. ► Higher level of optical transmittance and anti-AO erosion properties were matched with the mechanical stability. ► The FVAPIID process will be promising for fabricating inorganic films on polymer substrate for anti-AO erosion.