Radiation tolerance of Cu/W multilayered nanocomposites

Magnetron sputtered Cu/W multilayer samples with individual layer thicknesses from 2.5 to 50 nm were irradiated by 50 keV He⁺ ions at ion fluences from 7 × 10²⁰ to 6 × 10²¹ m ^-2 at room temperature. Evolution of the interfacial structure during irradiation is monitored by X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, radiation responses on the individual layer thickness and He⁺ ion irradiation fluence are revealed. The highly morphological stability of the multilayered structure suggests that the interfacial structure and grain boundary can serve as sinks for radiation-induced defects. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.