Ion-Track Etching

The polymeric membrane plays an essential role in drug delivery. One of the most common methods applied for formulating polymeric membranes with ordered pores is ion-track technology. This process is achieved by exposing a thin film of polymer with heavy ions which form ion tracks. The ion tracks are allowed to form pores via a chemical etching process which selectively attacks the ion tracks. The pores formed by this process are cylindrical or conical in shape with a diameter from 10 nm to within the μm range. The limitation of this process is that manufacturing of pores of a diameter less than within the nanometer range is not possible [113].
