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Damage evolution of ion irradiated defected-fluorite La 2 Zr 2 O 7 epitaxial thin films

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia
Pyrochlore-structure oxides, A2B2O7, may exhibit remarkable radiation tolerance due to the ease with which they can accommodate disorder by transitioning to a defected fluorite structure. The mechanism of defect formation was explored by evaluating the radiation damage behavior of high quality epitaxial La2Zr2O7 thin films with the defected fluorite structure, irradiated with 1 MeV Zr+ at doses up to 10 displacements per atom (dpa). The level of film damage was evaluated as a function of dose by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in the channeling geometry (RBS/c) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). At lower doses, the surface of the La2Zr2O7 film amorphized, and the amorphous fraction as a function of dose fit well to a stimulated amorphization model. As the dose increased, the surface amorphization slowed, and amorphization appeared at the interface. Even at a dose of 10 dpa, the core of the film remained crystalline, despite the prediction of amorphization from the model. To inform future ab initio simulations of La2Zr2O7, the bandgap of a thick La2Zr2O7 film was measured to be indirect at 4.96 eV, with a direct transition at 5.60 eV.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1349161
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-121946; 49131
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Vol. 130; ISSN 1359-6454
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (3)

Theoretical investigations of electronic and thermodynamic properties of Ce doped La 2 Zr 2 O 7 pyrochlore journal May 2019
Modulating the thermal conductivity of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 by Thorium (Th) doping: an ab initio study journal September 2019
Composition‐dependent intrinsic defect structures in pyroclore RE 2 B 2 O 7 ( RE  = La, Nd, Gd; B  = Sn, Hf, Zr) journal August 2019

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