Ion channeling investigations of the interactions between irradiation-produced defects and solute atoms in metals

Ion channeling investigations in various metals have shown that small solute atoms trap self-interstitial atoms to form the mixed dumbbell configuration, in which a solute atom and a host atom straddle a lattice site. Recent data are presented here concerning the production of mixed dumbbells and the nature of the trapping configurations resulting from irradiation of dilute Al alloys with He and Kr ions. The channeling technique is also now providing information on the trapping of vacancies by solute atoms. The growth of trivacancy-solute atom, tetravacancy-solute atom and hexavacancy-solute atom complexes caused by vacancy trapping at large solute atoms in the f.c.c. metals Al and Cu during annealing in stage III following low temperature irradiations will be discussed and evidence will also be presented for trapping of vacancies at large solute atoms in b.c.c. Fe. (author)