TEM analysis on irradiation damage of xenon-implanted yttria-stabilized zirconia single crystals

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to characterize the damage structure and the formation of Xe bubbles in 200 keV Xe+ implanted yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single crystals with different fluences. TEM analysis results showed that the density of defect clusters increased with increasing ion fluence. The density of defect clusters increased rapidly and formed clear interstitial type dislocation loops within dose range from 1×1015 Xe＋cm－２to 1×1016 Xe+ cm－2, and then the density of defect clusters increased slowly up to a dose of 1×1017 Xe+ cm－2. Small bubbles (2~4 nm in diameter) precipitate in the sample at a dose of 1×1017 Xe+ cm－2. No amorphization was observed in the selected area diffraction (SAD) pattern. These results also made it clear that no amorphiz