Revealing nano-scale lattice distortions in implanted material with 3D Bragg ptychography

Peng Li, Nicholas W. Phillips, Steven Leake, Marc Allain, Felix Hofmann and Virginie Chamard ()
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Peng Li: Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel
Nicholas W. Phillips: University of Oxford
Steven Leake: ESRF – The European Synchrotron
Marc Allain: Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel
Felix Hofmann: University of Oxford
Virginie Chamard: Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Small ion-irradiation-induced defects can dramatically alter material properties and speed up degradation. Unfortunately, most of the defects irradiation creates are below the visibility limit of state-of-the-art microscopy. As such, our understanding of their impact is largely based on simulations with major unknowns. Here we present an x-ray crystalline microscopy approach, able to image with high sensitivity, nano-scale 3D resolution and extended field of view, the lattice strains and tilts in crystalline materials. Using this enhanced Bragg ptychography tool, we study the damage helium-ion-irradiation produces in tungsten, revealing a series of crystalline details in the 3D sample. Our results lead to the conclusions that few-atom-large ‘invisible’ defects are likely isotropic in orientation and homogeneously distributed. A partially defect-denuded region is observed close to a grain boundary. These findings open up exciting perspectives for the modelling of irradiation damage and the detailed analysis of crystalline properties in complex materials.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27224-5

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