Ordered arrangement of irradiation-induced defects of polycrystalline tungsten irradiated with low-energy hydrogen ions

Abstract Low-energy (20–520 eV) hydrogen ion irradiations were performed at W surface temperature of 373–1073 K and a fluence ranging from 5.0 × 10 23 to 1.0 × 10 25 /m 2 . Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) as a nondestructive analytical technique was successfully used to detect irradiation-induced defects in polycrystalline W. The size and density of these nanometer-sized defects were strongly dependent on the fluence of hydrogen ions. Both ion energy ( E ) and temperature ( T ) play a crucial role in determining the ordering of nanometer-sized defects. Ordered arrangements were formed at relatively high E and T . This can be attributed to the stress-driven ripple effect of defect growth at crystal grains, resulting in the movement of W lattice along one certain crystal planes.