Nanoscale lattice strains in self-ion implanted tungsten

TL;DR

This study investigates nanoscale lattice strains in tungsten caused by self-ion implantation at different energies, revealing heterogeneous strain distributions and providing insights into damage structures relevant for nuclear reactor materials.

Contribution

It compares strain effects from 2 MeV and 20 MeV ion implantation in tungsten, demonstrating similar lattice swelling and heterogeneity at the nanoscale using advanced imaging techniques.

Findings

Implantation at different energies results in similar lattice swelling.

Strain heterogeneity is observed at the nanoscale, especially at greater depths.

Multi-technique approach reveals non-uniform defect distributions.

Abstract

Developing a comprehensive understanding of the modification of material properties by neutron irradiation is important for the design of future fission and fusion power reactors. Self-ion implantation is commonly used to mimic neutron irradiation damage, however an interesting question concerns the effect of ion energy on the resulting damage structures. The reduction in the thickness of the implanted layer as the implantation energy is reduced results in the significant quandary: Does one attempt to match the primary knock-on atom energy produced during neutron irradiation or implant at a much higher energy, such that a thicker damage layer is produced? Here we address this question by measuring the full strain tensor for two ion implantation energies, 2 MeV and 20 MeV in self-ion implanted tungsten, a critical material for the first wall and divertor of fusion reactors. A comparison of 2 MeV and 20 MeV implanted samples is shown to result in similar lattice swelling. Multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffractive imaging (MBCDI) shows that implantation induced strain is in fact heterogeneous at the nanoscale, suggesting that there is a non-uniform distribution of defects, an observation that is not fully captured by micro-beam Laue diffraction. At the surface, MBCDI and high-resolution electron back-scattered diffraction (HR-EBSD) strain measurements agree quite well in terms of this clustering/non-uniformity of the strain distribution. However, MBCDI reveals that the heterogeneity at greater depths in the sample is much larger than at the surface. This combination of techniques provides a powerful method for detailed investigation of the microstructural damage caused by ion bombardment, and more generally of strain related phenomena in microvolumes that are inaccessible via any other technique.