Corrosion under argon irradiation of titanium in the low MeV range: A study coupling AFM and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

This paper reports on a recent study of the corrosion under argon ion irradiation of titanium in the low MeV range (1–9 MeV), associating AFM and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. Irradiation with MeV Arn+ (n = 1, 3) ions produces damages on the titanium surface. Large craters form on the oxidized titanium surface whose characteristics vary as a function of the argon energy between 2 and 9 MeV. The superficial oxide grows thicker under irradiation over the same energy range, especially near 3 MeV. It is suggested that collisions cascades play a significant role in the overall damage process.