Phase transformations and defect clusters in single crystal SrTiO3 irradiated at different temperatures

Radiation damage mechanisms in single crystal SrTiO3 irradiated with 250 keV Ne ions to a fluence of 1.11 × 1020 ions/m2 at both room temperature and 773 K were systematically investigated. The irradiation-induced microstructural evolution was characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Ion irradiation at room temperature results in amorphization of crystalline SrTiO3 near the peak damage region at this fluence. On the other hand, ion irradiation at high temperature leads to less irradiation-induced damage in SrTiO3 due to the higher recovery rate of defects. Nevertheless, the formation of dislocation loops has been observed in the SrTiO3 crystals irradiated at high temperature. These dislocation loops were determined to be unfaulted loops with Burgers vector along 〈0 1 1〉