Effect of grain boundary character on sink efficiency Original Research Article

The dependence of the width of void-denuded zones (VDZs) on grain boundary (GB) characters was investigated in Cu irradiated with He ions at elevated temperature. Dislocation loops and voids formed near GBs during irradiation were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, and GB misorientations and normal planes were determined by electron back-scatter diffraction. The VDZ widths at Σ3〈1 1 0〉 tilt GBs ranged from 0 to 24 nm and increased with the GB plane inclination angle. For non-Σ3 GBs, VDZ widths ranged from 40 to 70 nm and generally increased with misorientation angle. Nevertheless, there is considerable scatter about this general trend, indicating that the remaining crystallographic parameters also play a role in determining the sink efficiencies of these GBs. In addition, the VDZ widths at two sides of a GB show different values for certain asymmetrical GBs. Voids were also observed within GB planes and their density and radius also appeared to depend on GB character. We conclude that GB sink efficiencies depend on the overall GB character, including both misorientation and GB plane orientation.