Characters of defect clusters in irradiated metals

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Abstract
Character determinations for small point defect clusters have been made using depth measurements by stereo electron microscopy in conjunction with the observation of the senses of black-white images. In gold, nickel and aluminium bombarded with 80-150 kev heavy ions to doses ∼ 1015 m−2 and in neutron-irradiated gold the clusters were found to be of vacancies, confirming previous conclusions. For ion-bombarded metals character determinations by various workers fit a clear pattern. Vacancy clusters are formed from displacement cascades and may be observed by electron microscopy at doses ∼ 1015 m−2. However, if they are below the visibility limit, then ion doses ∼ 1019 m−2 give interstitial clusters by a diffusion mechanism. For neutron-irradiated metals results depend upon parameters that have not yet been sufficiently explored.