Effect of alloying on the void swelling in Cu-base and Ag-base alloys

Pure Ag, pure Cu, and a variety of Cu-base and Ag-base solid solution alloy single crystal are irradiated with 1 MeV electrons in the high-voltage electron microscopes in a temperature range from 100 to 300 0C, and void swelling behaviour of these metals and alloys is studied. It is shown that in Ag-Al, Cu-Ge, and Cu-Si alloys void swelling is much smaller than in pure Ag, pure Cu, Ag-In, Ag-Sn, and Cu-Al alloys. In the former group a segregation of solute atoms at the sinks of point defects is induced by irradiation, while in the latter group either such a segregation is not induced, or a segregation of solvent atoms is induced by irradiation. Possible mechanisms for the suppression of void swelling in those alloys were a segregation of solute atoms is induced by irradiation are discussed. (author)