TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of carbon impurities on the formation of loops in tungsten irradiated with self-ions
AU - Castin, Nicolas
AU - Dubinko, Andrii
AU - Bonny, Giovanni
AU - Bakaev, Alexander
AU - Terentyev, Dmitry
N1 - Score=10
PY - 2019/12/15
Y1 - 2019/12/15
N2 - The microstructure changes taking place in W under irradiation are governed by many factors, amongst which C impurities and their interactions with self-interstitial atoms (SIA). In this work, we specifically study this effect by conducting a dedicated 2-MeV self-ions irradiation experiment, at room temperature. Samples were irradiated up to 0.02, 0.15 and 1.2 dpa. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) expectedly revealed a large density of SIA loops at all these doses. Surprisingly, however, the loop number density increased in a non-monotonous manner with the received dose. Performing chemical analysis with secondary ion spectroscopy measurements (SIMS), we find that our samples were likely contaminated by C injection during the irradiation. Employing an object kinetic Monte Carlo (OKMC) model for microstructure evolution, we demonstrate that the C injection is the likely factor explaining the evolution of loops number density. Our findings highlight the importance of the well-known issue of C injection during ion irradiation experiments, and demonstrate how OKMC models can help to rationalize this effect.
AB - The microstructure changes taking place in W under irradiation are governed by many factors, amongst which C impurities and their interactions with self-interstitial atoms (SIA). In this work, we specifically study this effect by conducting a dedicated 2-MeV self-ions irradiation experiment, at room temperature. Samples were irradiated up to 0.02, 0.15 and 1.2 dpa. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) expectedly revealed a large density of SIA loops at all these doses. Surprisingly, however, the loop number density increased in a non-monotonous manner with the received dose. Performing chemical analysis with secondary ion spectroscopy measurements (SIMS), we find that our samples were likely contaminated by C injection during the irradiation. Employing an object kinetic Monte Carlo (OKMC) model for microstructure evolution, we demonstrate that the C injection is the likely factor explaining the evolution of loops number density. Our findings highlight the importance of the well-known issue of C injection during ion irradiation experiments, and demonstrate how OKMC models can help to rationalize this effect.
KW - Tungsten
KW - ion implantation
KW - Microstructural evolution
KW - Object kinetic Monte Carlo
KW - nano to macro development
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/35217579
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.151808
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.151808
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 527
SP - 8
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
M1 - 151808
ER -