Radiation Damage Studies by Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

Abstract:

Irradiation of materials in space or nuclear applications is unavoidable and it is well known that it modifies their properties (electronic, optical, thermal, mechanical, ..) due to the formation of point and complex defects (vacancies Vs, self-interstitial atoms SIAs, cavities, bubbles, dislocation loops, dislocation lines, precipitates). As this review shows, irradiation can also be very useful for intentionally optimizing material properties and, when performed under very well controlled conditions, for understanding defects properties and their impact on large-scale material properties. Knowledge of how damage is created and accumulated in materials is needed to better understand the behavior of materials under irradiation, in particular their radiation resistance for nuclear applications or to know the best irradiation conditions for optimizing their properties in electronic or optical applications. Experimental characterization of damage is an essential element in achieving this objective, and is very often coupled with simulation. This paper presents general information on the introduction of damage during irradiation of materials and various examples illustrating the typical advantages of the Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) technique for the study of radiation damage.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 373)
• Pages: 75-97
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-tX1z5U
• Online since: July 2025
• Authors: Marie France Barthe*
• Keywords: Ceramics, Damage, Irradiations, Metals, Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy, Semiconductors, Vacancy Defect

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