In-situ investigation of ion-implantation effects on radiation-induced segregation in Ni-Al alloys

Abstract

In-situ experiments using the HVEM (high voltage electron microscope)/Tandem accelerator facility at Argonne National Laboratory were performed to determine the effects of 400-keV Zr+ and 75-keV Ne+ implantation on electron radiation-induced segregation (RIS) in Ni-9at.%Al at 550°C and 450°C, respectively. The alteration of RIS kinetics by Ne implantation was studied at two different doses. A highly-focused 900-keV electron beam, which produces a radial defect flux away from the beam center, was used to induce segregation of Al atoms in the opposite direction via the inverse-Kirkendall effect. Within the irradiated zone, Al enrichment drives the formation of γ′-Ni3Al precipitates, and the radial segregation rate of Al was monitored by measuring the growth of the precipitate zone.When a thin film is subject to a focused, electron beam, a non uniform defect distribution is produced. The effective beam diameter, D∘, is defined by IT= I∘ (πD∘/2)2 where IT is the total electron current and I∘ is the peak electron flux.