Dual beam in situ radiation studies of nanocrystalline Cu

Nanocrystalline metals have shown enhanced radiation tolerance as grain boundaries serve as effective defect sinks for removing radiation-induced defects. However, the thermal and radiation stability of nanograins are of concerns since radiation may induce grain boundary migration and grain coarsening in nanocrystalline metals when the grain size falls in the range of several to tens of nanometers. In addition, prior in situ radiation studies on nanocrystalline metals have focused primarily on single heavy ion beam radiations, with little consideration of the helium effect on damage evolution. In this work, we utilized in situ single-beam (1 MeV Kr⁺⁺) and dual-beam (1 MeV Kr⁺⁺ and 12 keV He⁺) irradiations to investigate the influence of helium on the radiation response and grain coarsening in nanocrystalline Cu at 300 °C. The grain size, orientation, and individual grain boundary character were quantitatively examined before and after irradiations. Statistic results suggest that helium bubbles at grain boundaries and grain interiors may retard the grain coarsening. These findings provide new perspective on the radiation response of nanocrystalline metals.