Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
An Analytical Electron Microscopy (AEM) investigation of polycrystalline TiB2 implanted with 1 MeV Ni+ to 1 × 1021 ions/m2 has shown that the implanted region remained crystalline and showed no evidence of precipitation. A region containing tangled dislocations extended from the implanted surface to ∼500 nm. Between ∼500 and 750 nm, the microstructure was more complicated and could be indicative of a high density of 5 to 10 nm diam defects. The maximum nickel concentration determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) occurred at ∼450 nm, slightly deeper than the calculated depth of 390 nm. Observations after in situ annealing revealed cavities and nickel-rich precipitates. Radiation damage models are invoked to explain the microstructures observed.
Research sponsored by the Division of Materials Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy under contract W–7405–eng–26 with the Union Carbide Corporation