Ion beam channeling study on the damage accumulation in yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia

Abstract

The lattice damage kinetics of defect accumulation in ion irradiated yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) was investigated by using in situ Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and channeling (RBS/C) techniques. The samples of single crystalline YSZ were irradiated with 400 keV Xe ++ ions over a range of doses and for sample temperatures of 170 and 300 K. Under all irradiation conditions studied, the samples remained crystalline. However, lattice damage, as measured by the minimum yield, χ min, was observed to have three distinct stages (stages I–III) in the rate of accumulation. Energy dependent channeling experiments revealed −1 and 1 2 power dependence for the dechanneling parameter in stage I and stage III, respectively. Corresponding transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies detected defects which appear as tiny dot contrasts in stage I samples, ultimately leading to the overlaps of dislocations at stage III. The three stages of damage accumulations have been interpreted as an evolving defect structure which changes the dominant RBS/C ion scattering process from direct scattering to dechanneling. A comparison between RBS/C and TEM techniques has also been made for the effective use of in situ RBS/C techniques for the study of radiation damage.