A study of ion damage in Al, Al/Cu and Al/Ag

Specimens of pure aluminium, aluminium-copper and aluminium-silver have been irradiated with 20 keV helium ions and/or 100 keV aluminium ions and the nature of the damage assessed using transmission electron microscopy. Irradiation with 20 keV helium ions to a dose of 2.7 x 1015 ions cm-2 results in the formation of interstitial loops and helium gas bubbles. The helium bubbles were detectable only after annealing at a high temperature following irradiation. When the helium preinjected aluminium specimens were irradiated with 100 keV Al+ ions to a dose of 84 dpa at temperatures above 1500C, voids were observed to form. At a lower dose of 64 dpa, only a high density of dislocation loops was observed. Al-1 wt% Cu alloy containing partially coherent theta' precipitates resists void formation to a considerable extent, and Al-10 wt% Ag alloy containing coherent G.P. zones offers complete resistance to both dislocation loop nucleation and void formation. The experimental results are discussed in the light of the current theories of irradiation induced damage in metals. The importance of the dislocation-sink efficiency for point defects, the gaseous impurity and the alloying elements in determining void formation is highlighted. (author)