Radiation damage in spinel single crystals

Abstract

Basic work on radiation damage behaviour in compound materials requires separate analysis of lattice defects in each sublattice. MgAl 2O 4 spinel single crystals of 〈110〉 and 〈100〉 orientation were analysed by means of the RBS/channeling technique using 2.0–2.9 MeV 4He beams, prior to and after implantation with Kr and Xe ions to fluences ranging from 10 14 to 10 17 at/cm 2. The results of our study indicate that only the Al- and O-sublattices can be heavily disordered. Damage peaks for these two sublattices grow continuously with increasing the implantation fluence and eventually reach the random level for approximately 2 × 10 16 Kr(Xe)/cm 2. The magnesium sublattice is much more stable: the height of the Mg damage peak saturates at ca. 20% of the random yield. A defect recovery stage at the temperature close to 500°C was observed.