Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to test the previously stated hypothesis and several experimental
facts about the effect of the ion flux or ion beam current under irradiation with heavy ions on the
radiation damage formation in the ceramic near-surface layer and their concentration. The hypothesis
is that, when considering the possibilities of using ion irradiation (usually with heavy ions) for
radiation damage simulation at a given depth, comparable to neutron irradiation, it is necessary to
consider the rate factor for the set of atomic displacements and their accumulation. Using the methods
of X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman and UV–Vis spectroscopy, alongside photoluminescence, the
mechanisms of defect formation in the damaged layer were studied by varying the current of the
Xe23+ ion beam with an energy of 230 MeV. As a result of the experimental data obtained, it was
found that, with the ion beam current elevation upon the irradiation of nitride ceramics (AlN) with
heavy Xe23+ ions, structural changes have a pronounced dependence on the damage accumulation
rate. At the same time, the variation of the ion beam current affects the main mechanisms of defect
formation in the near-surface layer. It has been found that at high values of flux ions, the dominant
mechanism in damage to the surface layer is the mechanism of the formation of vacancy defects
associated with the replacement of nitrogen atoms by oxygen atoms, as well as the formation of
ON–VAl complexes.
