Temperature Dependence of Amorphization above 10K in the CuTi Intermetallic Compound Under Electron Irradiation

Abstract

AbstractThe critical dose required to amorphize the crystalline compound CuTi during irradiation with 1 MeV electrons has been investigated from 10 to 288 K. The results show that above a critical temperature (Tc) of about 185 K, CuTi remains crystalline and only defect clusters are formed. Below Tc, amorphization occurs with no observable cluster formation. The critical dose for amorphization was found to be temperature dependent below Tc: as the irradiation temperature increases, a higher dose is required to induce amorphization. This observation supports the concept that Tc corresponds to the vacancy migration temperature. Below Tc, interstitial migration may contribute to the observed reduction in the amorphization rate with increasing temperature.