Microstructure of Swift Heavy Ion Irradiated SiC, Si3N4 and AlN

Abstract

ABSTRACTCross-section transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the microstructure of single crystal silicon carbide and polycrystalline silicon nitride and aluminum nitride following room temperature irradiation with either 245 MeV Kr or 710 MeV Bi ions. The fluences ranged from 1×1012/cm2 (single track regime) to 1×1013/cm2. Ion track formation was observed in the Bi ion-irradiated Si3N4 specimen in regions where the electronic stopping power exceeded a critical value of ∼15 keV/nm (depths <24 μm). Ion track formation was not observed at any depth in 245 MeV Kr ion-irradiated Si3N4, in which the maximum electronic stopping power was 14.5 keV/nm. There was no evidence for track formation in either SiC or AlN irradiated with 710 MeV Bi ions, which indicates that the threshold electronic stopping power for track formation in these two ceramics is >34 keV/nm. The high resistance of SiC and AlN to track formation may be due to their high thermal conductivity, but further study is needed to quantitatively evaluate the suitability of the various track formation models.