Technique for examining the fuel/cladding interface by TEM

Fuel and fission-product interactions with the fuel-pin cladding is an area of concern and has been evaluated in the past principally by in-cell optical metallographic and electron-microprobe examinations. The applicability of three techniques for preparing specimens to reveal the microstructural details and local microchemistry of the fuel/cladding interface under conditions of high-resolution-scanning transmission-electron microscopy has been investigated. The specimen preparation techniques were designed to preserve the fuel/cladding interface and provide and maintain a specimen surface free from smearable alpha contamination. One of the techniques, Ni plating of a fuel cladding sample, preserved the entire cladding cross-section for examination. An Fe-oxide layer on the cladding inner surface was found in specimens prepared by this method. All three techniques of specimen preparation are described in some detail, along with their advantages and disadvantages