Crystal Nucleation Behavior Caused by Annealing of SiC Irradiated with Ne at Liquid Nitrogen Temperature or at 573 K

Abstract

Silicon carbide(SiC) TEM specimens were annealed, in-situ, at 1273 K for 30 minutes after amorphization with 30 keV Ne⁺ irradiation to the fluence of 1.9 or 2.3×10²⁰Ne⁺/m² at 573 K or liquid nitrogen temperature. The crystal nucleation and bubble coalescence accompanied by recrystallization were observed for both specimens subjected to the annealing after the irradiation to the fluence of 2.3×10²⁰Ne⁺/m² in both irradiation temperature cases. The Debye-Sherrer rings of the nucleated crystals well fitted the net pattern of the matrix, even though no ring corresponding to (200) of β-SiC appeared. No effect of the irradiation temperature occurred within the present experimental range. It appears that the concentration of implanted inert gas atoms played more important roll than the amorphous structure itself in the crystal nucleation behavior under the condition that the inert gas bubbles were formed in amorphous SiC.