Charged Particle Activation Analysis: Applications

Abstract

Radioactivation methods in general are essential for trace analysis because of their accuracy; among these methods, charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) is especially suitable for the determination of light elements such as boron, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen at trace levels in materials. CPAA can also be used advantageously for other heavier elements, if needed, and sometimes be a complement to neutron activation analysis, or even competes with it. The CPAA is the best reference method because of its high sensitivity and selectivity. It permits the determination of the total concentration, regardless of the chemical state. The surface contamination can be eliminated by etching after irradiation, and absolute concentrations can be obtained by direct comparison with known compounds. There are no matrix effects and no need for reference samples. In this article, we have described and discussed, in more detail, the principle and some applications of CPAA. Examples are given of typical applications of CPAA technique such as the study of the oxygen profiling in Czochralski‐silicon (Cz‐Si) substrates submitted to a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and the study of the oxygen behavior in thermally treated Cz‐Si by combining CPAA with ion channeling. Helium behavior in irradiated UO 2 is an important role in the mechanical stability of nuclear fuels during and after its use in nuclear power plants. Helium migration mechanisms in bulk uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) have already been the subject of theoretical studies, but there is a lack of experimental data relating to the most stable location in the crystal. The question of the helium behavior in silicon carbide 6H–SiC single crystals has been studied at the atomic scale by numerical simulations, but no experiment has been carried out to assess the results hitherto. The measurements have shown that a portion of the He is located in the interstitial tetrahedral sites as predicted by the numerical simulations.