Ion irradiation effects on amorphization and thermal crystallization in Zr-Al-Ni-Cu alloys

Nagata, Shinji*; Higashi, Seijiro*; Tsuchiya, Bun*; To, Kentaro*; Shikama, Tatsuo*; Takahiro, Katsumi*; Ozaki, Koichi*; Kawatsura, Kiyoshi*; Yamamoto, Shunya; Inoue, Aichi

Structural modification and primary precipitates in the ZrAlNiCu alloy films (50-100 m thickness) caused by radiation with 300-500 keV H, Ag, Cu and Au ions has been studied. The results of XRD indicated that a metastable primary phase was formed in the alloy by the heat treatment after ion irradiation, but no difference was observed just after the ion irradiation at room temperature. Furthermore, higher incident Au ion fluence effectively suppressed thermal precipitation of the ZrNi type crystalline phase in the alloy. The deposited energy dependence of the precipitation behavior indicated an increase of the nucleation sites by the implanted metal atoms, simultaneously with a decrease of the growth rate by higher energy deposition density.