Electron irradiation effects and recovery of defect clusters in TiC through high voltage electron microscope

Titanium carbide(TiC_0.8) prepared by plasma-jet melting was irradiated to an electron dose less than 6x10²⁶e/m² from room temperature to 800℃. The number density and average size of the defect clusters formed at irradiation temperatures below 400℃ were less than those formed above 600℃. Since TiC_0.8) has an order structure of carbon below around 600℃, the ordered phase is more resistant to radiation than the disordered one in higher temperatures. The clusters decrease in number density and develop to dislocation loops during post irradiation annealing above 1,000℃. The burgers vector of the loops was determined as a/2<110>. There were two temperature region for the recovery of the defect clusters. It is conceivable that the first one appeared in the temperature region around 600℃ caused by migration of carbon vacancies, and the second one appeared above 1,000℃ by migration of titanium vacancies. (author)