Surface morphology of the bulk tungsten divertor tiles from JET ITER-like wall

Surface characterization of bulk tungsten tiles (W lamellae) used during the first campaign of JET with the ITER-Like Wall (JET-ILW) was performed by means of microscopy and tritium imaging techniques. This is the first report regarding very detailed structural studies of W lamellae from the JET-ILW divertor. A special feature of the W lamellae installed in JET is the intrinsic network of micro-cracks detected on surfaces of the as-manufactured material. Analyses of different W lamellae samples on the plasma-facing surface reveal two types of surface structures caused by plasma impact: areas with strong erosion and regions of mild plasma interaction. In regions of strong erosion, a thin modified layer (thickness of ∼20 nm) with a high density of defects including bubble-like structures has been formed. In addition, features indicating melting along edges of micro-cracks with the micro-scale plastic deformation have been identified. (topical issue article)