Phase transformations and defect clusters in single crystal SrTiO3 irradiated at different temperatures

Abstract Radiation damage mechanisms in single crystal SrTiO 3 irradiated with 250 keV Ne ions to a fluence of 1.11 × 10 20 ions/m 2 at both room temperature and 773 K were systematically investigated. The irradiation-induced microstructural evolution was characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Ion irradiation at room temperature results in amorphization of crystalline SrTiO 3 near the peak damage region at this fluence. On the other hand, ion irradiation at high temperature leads to less irradiation-induced damage in SrTiO 3 due to the higher recovery rate of defects. Nevertheless, the formation of dislocation loops has been observed in the SrTiO 3 crystals irradiated at high temperature. These dislocation loops were determined to be unfaulted loops with Burgers vector along 〈0 1 1〉.