ONSET OF RADIATION-BLISTERING IN LOW-TEMPERATURE D+-IRRADIATED COPPER

The onset of radiation-blistering in 200 keV D+ irradiated copper at 120 K has been studied. Discrete blisters are found to form rapidly at a well defined fluence which depends upon the incident current density. The critical dose for blistering is found to be a minimum at a current density of (2 ± 1) A/m2. For fluences of less than the critical dose for blistering but greater than approximately 6 × 1021D+/m2, blistering is found to occur rapidly within a well-defined temperature range during heating of the target following irradiation. Surface blistering is not observed following irradiation to fluences of less than (6 ± 2) × 1021 D+/m2 The incident deut'eron beam has been used for both implantation and to obtain dynamic deuterium depth profiles and the deuterium retained in the surface regions of the target has been related to the onset of blistering. © 1979.