Multiple ion beam irradiation for the study of radiation damage in materials

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe effects of transmutation produced helium and hydrogen must be included in ion irradiation experiments to emulate the microstructure of reactor irradiated materials. Descriptions of the criteria and systems necessary for multiple ion beam irradiation are presented and validated experimentally. A calculation methodology was developed to quantify the spatial distribution, implantation depth and amount of energy-degraded and implanted light ions when using a thin foil rotating energy degrader during multi-ion beam irradiation. A dual ion implantation using 1.34 MeV Fe + ions and energy-degraded D + ions was conducted on single crystal silicon to benchmark the dosimetry used for multi-ion beam irradiations. Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis showed good agreement with calculations of the peak implantation depth and the total amount of iron and deuterium implanted. The results establish the capability to quantify the ion fluence from both heavy ion beams and energy-degraded light ion beams for the purpose of using multi-ion beam irradiations to emulate reactor irradiated microstructures.

Exploring Coupled Extreme Environments via In-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

“…Simulating radiation damage to materials in a nuclear reactor involves the combination of displacement damage, high temperatures, and the introduction of new transmuted elements. By performing simultaneous irradiation with multiple ion species in a controlled environment, it is possible to: 1) alter the displacement damage profile in a highly controlled manner [27], 2) modify the elemental species ratio [28], and 3) introduce localized heating [29]. This systematic approach within a TEM permits the elucidation of fundamental mechanisms that govern the evolution of materials during fission or fusion processes.…”

Imitating Neutron Irradiation Damage Using a Combination of Ion Beams

“…The ion beams (particles and their energy) were chosen based on available and widely used ion beams (e.g. [6]). The methodology and the algorithm are, however, very generally applicable.…”

“…Also, a procedure combining neutron irradiation for obtaining radiation damage and He irradiation for injecting bubbles is being used by the community. [6] The possibility of obtaining a layer 1 of evenly irradiated material might be especially suitable for testing Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) multi-component cladding materials. During such tests, it is needed to evaluate properties under irradiation of a thin coating layer deposited on a material, which irradiation properties are already well known (Zr-based alloys serving as substrates).…”

Using In Situ TEM Helium Implantation and Annealing to Study Cavity Nucleation and Growth

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Experimentally, ion implantation has become a prevalent technique for probing gas accumulation effects on mechanical properties and for correlating microstructural and mechanical effects. [6][7][8][9][10] Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is ideal for quantifying radiation-induced cavity density, size, and spatial distribution because of the nanometer length scale of these features. [11][12][13][14][15] Combining numerical simulations across a variety of length and time scales with experimental observations can yield a detailed understanding of: noble atom diffusion properties, the timeframe for cavity nucleation under various thermal and irradiation conditions, cavity growth mechanisms under varying initial defect and gas concentration states, and the time dependence on cavity growth mechanisms.…”