In-situ observation of radiation damage in nano-structured amorphous SiOC/crystalline Fe composite. (1st March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Su, Qing; Cui, Bai; Kirk, Marquis A.; Nastasi, Michael
• Is Part Of: Scripta materialia. Volume 113(2016)
• Page Start: 79
• Page End: 83
• Publication Date: 2016-03-01
• Subjects: Radiation tolerant materials -- Amorphous SiOC -- Nanocrystalline Fe -- Interface; Materials -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Metalen; Legeringen; Materiaalkunde; Metals, metalworking and machinery industries; Metals; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2015.10.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6462

Abstract

Abstract: The radiation tolerance property of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe nanocomposites were examined by in-situ transmission electron microscope at 50 Kelvin (K), room temperature and 573 K. Results showed that intermixing between Fe and SiOC was most severe for irradiation at 50 K. However, for irradiations at 573 K, a demixing process was observed. The results indicated thermodynamic stability and radiation tolerance of Fe/SiOC nanocomposite at elevated temperature. Compared with thin Fe/SiOC multilayers, thick Fe/SiOC multilayer exhibited better irradiation stability. Discussion cover two possible reasons for these observations including the composite interface energy and collision cascade size. Graphical abstract: (a) Schematic illustration of in-situ irradiation. The typical cross-sectional bright-field TEM micrographs of thin Fe/SiOC multilayer films after (b) 50 K and (c) 573 K irradiations with a dose of 1 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 . Results clearly show that intermixing between Fe and SiOC is most severe for irradiation at 50 K and a demixing process is observed for thin multilayer sample after irradiations at 573 K. The cross-sectional bright-field TEM images of thick Fe/SiOC multilayer films after (d) 50 K and (e) 573 K irradiations (a dose of 1 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 ). The results show a formation of intermixed layer after 50 K irradiation but no observed change after 573 K irradiation in thick Fe/SiOC multilayer sample.