Direct Observation of Grain-Boundary-Migration-Assisted Radiation Damage Healing in Ultrafine Grained Gold under Mechanical Stress

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00180
• Publication Date: 2023-04-14T13:51:50Z
• Authors: Sandra Stangebye; Kunqing Ding; Yin Zhang; Eric Lang; Khalid Hattar; Ting Zhu; Josh Kacher; Olivier Pierron
• Keywords: radiation damage; Volume fraction

Nanostructured metals are a promising class of radiation-tolerant materials. A large volume fraction grain boundaries (GBs) can provide plenty sinks for radiation damage, and understanding the underlying healing mechanisms is key to developing more effective tolerant Here, we observe damage absorption by stress-assisted GB migration in ultrafine-grained Au thin films using quantitative situ transmission electron microscopy nanomechanical testing technique. We show that rate significantly higher unirradiated specimens. This behavior attributed presence smaller grains specimens nearly absent irradiated Our experimental results also suggest mobility decreased as result irradiation. work implies deleterious effects irradiation be reduced an evolving network migrating GBs under stress.