Solutes in copper as nuclei for self-interstitial complexes

Abstract

Dilute copper alloys were irradiated at 80K with 3 MeV electrons up to radiation-induced defect concentrations four times larger than the concentration of the solutes. The resistivity damage rates were measured as a function of the residual resistivity increases and the effective trapping radii were evaluated as a function of the average number of trapped interstitials per solute. In the case of the undersized solute Be the effective trapping radius was found to increase with increasing defect concentration, which can be explained by the growth of solute self-interstitial complexes. The radius increment due to the first interstitial trapped by a Be atom can be estimated to be one half of the recombination radius. The oversized solutes Au, Pd, and Sb behaved differently. The effective trapping radius remains about constant up to defect concentrations comparable with those of the solutes and starts increasing only at higher concentrations.