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The Effects of Radiation Damage on Heteroepitaxial Interfaces


EMSL Project ID
47844

Abstract

The interaction of radiation with materials controls the performance, reliability, and safety of conventional and advanced nuclear power systems. Energetic particles produced by nuclear reactions displace atoms in surrounding materials from their lattice sites, resulting in high local temperatures and formation of vacancies and interstitials that are deleterious to important material properties. Recent research suggests that nanospaced internal interfaces are powerful sinks for vacancies and interstitials [1-3]. Revolutionary improvements in radiation tolerance may be attainable if methods can be found to manipulate interface structures at the nanoscale to tailor their properties for optimal interface stability and point defect recombination, and to serve as traps for gaseous transmutants such as helium and hydrogen [4-6]. Interfaces contain miscoordinated atoms and excess volume that can assist recombination processes. A high-density of nanoscale features will dramatically increase interface area and shorten the diffusion path for defect recombination. Although recent experiments and modeling demonstrate the efficacy of this concept [7-9], the exact roles of interface free volume and the specific type of interface are not well understood. More importantly, an accurate physical description of point defect absorption and recombination processes occurring at interfaces does not exist. We propose to perform carefully controlled experiments utilizing well-characterized model interfaces to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing defect absorption and recombination at interfaces.
The key scientific objectives of this research are 1) to understand how interface character affects absorption and recombination of radiation-induced defects, 2) to determine the ability of interfaces to delocalize radiation-induced defects to promote recombination, and 3) to determine the stability and evolution of interfaces under irradiation to high doses.

Project Details

Start Date
2013-03-22
End Date
2013-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Richard Kurtz
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Co-Investigator(s)

Brian Wirth
Institution
University of Tennessee

Team Members

Vaithiyalingam Shutthanandan
Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Chongmin Wang
Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Tiffany Kaspar
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Renee Van Ginhoven
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Related Publications

Shutthanandan V, S Choudhury, S Manandhar, TC Kaspar, CM Wang, A Devaraj, BD Wirth, S Thevuthasan, RG Hoagland, BP Uberuaga, and RJ Kurtz. 2017. "Radiation Tolerant Interfaces: Influence of Local Stoichiometry at the Misfit Dislocation on Radiation Damage Resistance of Metal/Oxide Interfaces." Advanced Materials Interfaces 4(14):Article No. 1700037. doi:10.1002/admi.201700037