Nucleation of nanoclusters in thermal spikes in solids irradiated with swift heavy ions

Abstract

It was observed recently that decay of supersaturated solid solution of impurity atoms in materials irradiated with swift heavy ions results in nanocluster formation correlating with the value of the electronic energy loss of projectiles. Manifesting new possibilities for governing the nanosize structure transformation, this effect is interesting for the fundamental problem of phase separations caused by energetic electronic excitations in solids as well as for modern nanotechnologies. In this paper the effect of the `thermal spike', when the energy transfer from the excited electrons to target atoms results in the material heating in the track, on the nucleation of nanoclusters is investigated. It is assumed that the precipitation can occur if the temperature in the track reaches such value that the nucleation time becomes shorter than the track cooling time.