Order-disorder phase transformation in ion-irradiated rare earth sesquioxides

Journal Article · Mon Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2720716· OSTI ID:20960207

Tang, M; Valdez, J A; Sickafus, K E; Lu, P ^[1]

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1. Materials Science and Technology Division, Mail Stop G755, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

An order-to-disorder (OD) transformation induced by ion irradiation in rare earth (RE) sesquioxides, Dy{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Er{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and Lu{sub 2}O{sub 3}, was studied using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. These sesquioxides are characterized by a cubic C-type RE structure known as bixbyite. They were irradiated with heavy Kr{sup ++} ions (300 keV) and light Ne{sup +} ions (150 keV) at cryogenic temperature ({approx}120 K). In each oxide, following a relatively low ion irradiation dose of {approx}2.5 displacements per atom, the ordered bixbyite structure was transformed to a disordered, anion-deficient fluorite structure. This OD transformation was found in all three RE sesquioxides (RE=Dy, Er, and Lu) regardless of the ion type used in the irradiation. The authors discuss the irradiation-induced OD transformation process in terms of anion disordering, i.e., destruction of the oxygen order associated with the bixbyite structure.

• OSTI ID: 20960207
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 15; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2720716; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANIONS
ATOMIC DISPLACEMENTS
CUBIC LATTICES
DYSPROSIUM OXIDES
ERBIUM OXIDES
ION BEAMS
IRRADIATION
KEV RANGE 100-1000
KRYPTON IONS
LUTETIUM OXIDES
NEON IONS
ORDER-DISORDER TRANSFORMATIONS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION