Radiation damage effects in δ-Sc4Zr3O12 irradiated with Kr2+ ions under cryogenic conditions

✍ Scribed by J.A. Valdez; M. Tang; K.E. Sickafus

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 443 KB
• Volume: 250
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-583X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2006.04.098

✦ Synopsis

Radiation damage effects in polycrystalline pellets of the oxide Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 irradiated with 300 keV Kr 2+ ions were studied by combining grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Kr 2+ ion irradiations were performed to a maximum fluence of 3 • 10 20 Kr m À2 at cryogenic temperature (100 K). GIXRD and cross-sectional TEM observations revealed that the crystal structure of the irradiated Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 was unchanged by irradiation to a dose of $23 displacements per atom (dpa). However, by a dose of $70 dpa, much of the irradiated Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 experienced an order-to-disorder transformation. The structure of pristine Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 possesses rhombohedral symmetry and is referred to as the delta (d) phase. However, this rhombohedral structure is closely related to the cubic fluorite structure. Following high dose ion irradiation the d-Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 experienced a rhombohedral-to-cubic transformation. This transformation is discussed in terms of a new, layered atom description for compounds with the d-Sc 4 Zr 3 O 12 structure.