Defect structures of F82H irradiated at SINQ using positron annihilation spectroscopy

The growth process of He-filled vacancy clusters during annealing was investigated with positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) measurements. The reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel F82H was irradiated with high-energy protons and spallation neutrons. The He-filled vacancy clusters absorbed more He atoms when annealed below 673 K, and the long and mean positron lifetimes decreased. When annealed above 873 K, the vacancies (V)–He_m or V_n–He_m complexes dissociated (n and m are the number of vacancies and He atoms, respectively). The He-filled vacancy clusters then absorb these dissociated vacancies and He atoms. Therefore, the size of the He-filled vacancy clusters increased, and the He-to-vacancy ratio decreased. These annealing-induced phenomena increased the long positron lifetime in addition to the higher positron trapping rates of the He-filled vacancy clusters. By comparing electron-irradiated samples that did not contain He atoms to the proton- and neutron-irradiated samples containing He atoms, the effects of He atoms on the CDB ratio curves were studied. The results agreed with the previous study of He-ion-implanted Fe–Cr alloys.