Damage in yttria-stabilized zirconia by Xe irradiation measured by X-ray diffraction

The evolution of microstructure in yttria-stabilized zirconia under irradiation is examined. YSZ was irradiated with Xe ions at 320 and 450 keV. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the resulting dislocation network with no amorphization as previously reported in literature. Hi-resolution X-ray diffraction was used to further study the ion damage characteristics. θ-2θ scans measure an increasing out of plane lattice constant with dose. Reciprocal lattice maps indicate a strained surface layer, lattice matched to the unirradiated material.