Spatial dependence of void growth rates in the irradiation of thin foils: theory and calculations

Results are presented of studies on the steady state spatial distribution of D/sub v/C/sub v/--D/sub I/C/sub I/ near the boundary of thin foils during irradiation, where the D's are diffusivities, the C's are point defects, and the subscripts refer to vacancies and interstitials. It was found that the effects of the surface condition on void nucleation and growth can be assessed properly only by including biased sinks and considering the spatial dependence of D/sub v/C/sub v/--D/sub I/C/sub I/. This results in a deeper surface effect, and a different dependence on generation rate, temperature, and microstructure