Microstructural and mechanical characterization of silicon carbide irradiated with 158 MeV xenon swift heavy ions.

Abstract

The structural and mechanical properties of 3C-SiC substrates subjected to 158 MeV Xe²⁶⁺ swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation at different fluences were investigated. To study the changes induced by irradiation 3C-SiC was irradiated with swift heavy ions (SHI) to fluences of 1×10¹⁰, 1×10¹¹, and 1×10¹³ ions/cm² at room temperature (RT). To achieve this, Stopping and ion range in matter (SRIM) simulations will be employed to predict the behavior of SiC under irradiation conditions, providing insight into defect formation and energy deposition profiles. Raman spectroscopy will be utilized to analyze structural changes at the atomic level, while Vickers’ hardness testing will evaluate changes in the material's hardness. Additionally, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) will be used to study surface structural modifications and to extract mechanical properties such as Young's modulus and compressibility. Results revealed defect-induced hardening at lower fluences and significant degradation of mechanical properties at the highest fluence, attributed to defect accumulation and clustering. The findings indicated that while 3C-SiC functions effectively as barrier material, it may degrade once it reaches its irradiation threshold. This enhances the understanding of SiC’s behavior under irradiation, crucial for its application in nuclear reactors and aerospace technologies.