In situ characterization of thermal conductivities of irradiated solids by using ion beam heating and infrared imaging

Abstract

We propose a method to characterize thermal properties of ion irradiated materials. This method uses an ion beam as a heating source to create a hot spot on sample surface. Infrared imaging is used as a surface temperature mapping tool to record hot zone spreading. Since ion energy, ion flux, and ion penetration depth can be precisely controlled, the beam heating data is highly reliable and repeatable. Using a high speed infrared camera to capture lateral spreading of the hot zone, thermal diffusivity can be readily extracted. The proposed method has advantages in studying radiation induced thermal property changes, for which radiation damage can be introduced by using an irradiating beam over a relatively large beam spot and beam heating can be introduced by using a focused testing beam over a relatively small beam spot. These two beams can be switched without breaking vacuum. Thus thermal conductivity changes can be characterized in situ with ion irradiation. The feasibility of the technique is demonstrated on a single crystal quartz substrate.