It was recalled that SiC was a potential cladding material for nuclear fuel in future high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors. In such harsh environments, the carbide would be exposed to energetic particles which gave rise to atomic displacements that could alter its retention capability for fission products. The aim of the present work was to examine the effects produced by the implantation of a typical fission product, namely I, into SiC at different temperatures and to study its diffusion behaviour under temperature and ion post-irradiation. Ion implantation at 400 or 600C produced significantly less damage than implantation at room temperature followed by subsequent thermal annealing. In addition, there was no noticeable change in the I distribution profile even after thermal annealing up to 1000C or after post-irradiation at 600C with energetic heavy ions.

Ion Implantation of Iodine into Silicon Carbide - Influence of Temperature on the Produced Damage and on the Diffusion Behaviour. A.Audren, A.Benyagoub, L.Thome, F.Garrido: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 2008, 266[12-13], 2810-3