Grain growth of nanocrystalline 3C-SiC under Au ion irradiation at elevated temperatures
Nanocrystalline silicon carbide (SiC) represents an excellent model system for a fundamental study of interfacial (grain boundary) processes under nuclear radiation, which are critical to the understanding of the response of nanostructured materials to high-dose irradiation. This study reports on a comparison of irradiation effects in cubic phase SiC (3C-SiC) grains of a few nanometers in size and single-crystal 3C-SiC films under identical Au ion irradiation to a range of doses at 700 K. In contrast to the latter, in which lattice disorder is accumulated to a saturation level without full amorphization, the average grain size of the former increases with dose following a power-law trend. In addition to coalescence, the grain grows through atomic jumps and mass transport, where irradiation induced vacancies at grain boundaries assist the processes. It is found that a higher irradiation temperature leads to slower grain growth and a faster approach to a saturation size of SiC nanograins. The results could potentially have a positive impact on structural components of advanced nuclear energy systems.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1239482
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-110626; 49138; 44713; 48707; AT2030110
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Physics. D, Applied Physics, Vol. 49, Issue 3; ISSN 0022-3727
- Publisher:
- IOP Publishing
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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