Surface morphology changes of silicon carbide by helium plasma irradiation

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) and its composites are candidate materials for the blanket components and for the first wall in a fusion reactor. If the SiC is used without any armor materials for the first wall, it is exposed by helium (He) plasma as well as hydrogen plasma. Characteristic surface morphology changes are reported for various materials by He plasma exposure. Thus, we exposed SiC specimens to He or simultaneous deuterium (D) and He (D + He) plasma by various conditions and then observed surface morphology changes by SEM. As a result, needle-like structures and whiskers-like structures at the tip were formed in He plasma and D + He irradiation, while only needle-like structures were formed in D plasma. Therefore, it indicated that the effects of He were attributed to form whiskers-like structures. Although the structures are different among He plasma, simultaneous D + He plasma and D plasma irradiations, sputtering is considered to be a dominant process for the formation of the structure formation. However, the effects of He atoms in the structure could also be attributed to form whiskers-like structures.