Helium behavior in α-SiC ceramics investigated by NRA technique

The mechanisms involved in helium migration in α-SiC are investigated through the evolution of its microstructure and of the concentration profiles following annealing at 1300 °C/30 min for fluences of 1 and 5 × 1015 3He cm−2 and a He implantation energy of 500 keV. Helium profiling is performed using the 3He(d,α)1H NRA technique with an improved detection limit of 5 at ppm. The NRA and TEM techniques clearly show that depending on the initial fluence, a proportion of the helium is trapped within the grain and a part of the helium is released. Analysis of the helium profile changes after annealing enabled to determine a value of the volume diffusion coefficient close to (8 ± 1) × 10−17 m2 s−1 for both fluences studied.