Trapping and release of helium in tungsten

Abstract The behavior of tungsten under irradiation and helium implantation is a major stake of the material-related issues of fusion reactors. In this perspective the fate of helium in tungsten was studied by mean of several characterization techniques. The aim of this study is to highlight the trapping mechanisms of helium in tungsten and their correlation with implantation-induced defects. Helium was implanted into tungsten at two different energies, 0.32 and 60 keV. The helium was studied as a function of temperature by using nuclear reaction analysis. The migration propensity of helium was correlated with the release rate of helium after annealing at a given temperature. In addition, the helium trapping sites and evolution with post-implantation annealing was investigated using Doppler-Broadening Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy. It has been shown that the release, and so the migration, of helium is guided by the concentration of implantation-induced defects and the nature of the helium traps created during the implantation.