Speaker
Description
Silicon carbide (SiC) is widely used as a diffusion barrier in advanced nuclear fuels; however, its performance can be compromised by helium (He)-induced surface damage, including blister formation, swelling, and surface exfoliation. In this study, the effectiveness of thin carbon films in mitigating He-induced surface degradation in SiC was investigated. Carbon layers, with thicknesses ranging from 50 to 200 nm, were deposited on SiC substrates and subjected to He ion implantation under controlled conditions (20 keV, room temperature, fluence of 1×10¹⁷ ions/cm²), followed by annealing at 1000 °C. The microstructural evolution, bubble formation, and surface morphology were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results demonstrated that thicker carbon coatings (greater than 100 nm) reduced defect accumulation and suppressed He-induced surface damage in SiC. These findings provide insight into the role of carbon films as protective barriers and highlight their potential to enhance the structural stability of SiC in nuclear environments. This work contributes to improving the reliability of SiC as a diffusion barrier in advanced reactor systems.
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