Response of cubic zirconia irradiated with 4-MeV Au ions at high temperature: An X-ray diffraction study

Yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia single-crystals have been irradiated with 4-MeV Au2+ ions at fluences ranging from 1012 cm−2 to 5 × 1015 cm−2 and at three temperatures (room temperature, 500 °C and 800 °C). Evaluation of the irradiation-induced strain has been performed by the X-ray diffraction technique. It is found that, whatever the irradiation temperature, the elastic-strain build-up exhibits two steps. An increase of the (tensile) strain-level is observed in the first step. A drastic strain relaxation occurs at a transition fluence, which defines the beginning of the second step. Increasing the irradiation temperature induces a decrease of the strain level and a shift of the transition fluence towards low fluence. Both effects may be explained by an enhanced defect-clustering rate which occurs already at 500 °C.