Dependence of implantation temperature on chemical behavior of energetic deuterium implanted into tungsten carbide

Dependence of implantation temperature on chemical behavior of energetic deuterium implanted into WC was investigated by TDS and XPS. 1.0 keV D + 2 ions were implanted into WC samples at the implantation temperature range of 323-873 K. It was found that the deuterium retention decreased as the implantation temperature increased. Above 573 K, most of the retained deuterium was bound to C, which was less than 20% of the total D retention after D + 2 implantation at 323 K. Above 673 K, C was segregated on the WC surface and some of the implanted deuterium was retained in the segregated carbon layer. Additionally, it can be said that the D retention in WC was much less than that in other carbon-related materials, such as graphite and SiC. Hydrogen isotope retention can be reduced significantly when WC is formed on a divertor surface as a redeposited layer.