Characterization of defects in metals by positron-annihilation spectroscopy

Technical Report · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6436582

Siegel, R W

The application of positron-annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) to the characterization and study of defects in metals has grown rapidly and increasingly useful in recent years. Owing to the ability of the positron to annihilate from a variety of defect-trapped states in metals, PAS can yield defect-specific information which, by itself or in conjunction with more traditional experimental techniques, has already made a significant impact upon our knowledge regarding lattice defect properties in metals. This has been especially true for vacancy defets, as a result of the positron's affinity for lower-than-average electron-density regions in the metal. The physical basis for the positron annihilation techniques is presented in this paper; and the experimental techniques, lifetime, Doppler broadening, and angular correlation, are briefly described and compared with respect to the information that can be obtained from each of them. A number of examples of the application of PAS to the characterization of atomic defects and their agglomerates are presented. The particular examples, chosen from the areas of equilibrium vacancy formation and atomic-defect recovery, were selected with a view toward elucidating the particular advantages of PAS over more traditional defect-characterization techniques. Limitations of PAS are also pointed out. 98 references.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6436582
• Report Number(s): DOE/NBM-3007960; ON: DE83007960
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360102* -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
ANNIHILATION
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEFECTS
DOPPLER BROADENING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENTHALPY
FERMIONS
FORMATION HEAT
INTERACTIONS
LEPTONS
LIFETIME
LINE BROADENING
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POINT DEFECTS
POSITRONS
REACTION HEAT
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRAPPING
VACANCIES