文摘
The radiation stability of nano-crystalline cubic Zirconia films was investigated under 41 keV He ion irradiation. These ions were chosen to simulate alpha particles (produced during fission events) because of the similar electronic energy loss in Zirconia. The ZrO2 films, with an average grain size of 8 nm, were grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates by electron beam assisted thermal evaporation. Although the cubic structure was retained upon irradiation, a slight reduction in crystallinity in the irradiated films was detected as compared to the as-deposited film. No bulk amorphization was however observed for any of the fluences and hence these films are radiation tolerant to alpha particles.