Ion species/energy dependence of irradiation-induced lattice structure transformation and surface hardness of NiNb and NiTa intermetallic compounds

Kojima, Hiroshi*; Kaneno, Yasuyuki*; Ochi, Masaaki*; Semboshi, Satoshi*; Hori, Fuminobu*; Saito, Yuichi*; Ishikawa, Norito   ; Okamoto, Yoshihiro  ; Iwase, Akihiro*

Bulk samples of NiNb and NiTa intermetallic compounds were irradiated with 16 MeV Au, 4.5 MeV Ni, 4.5 MeV Al, 200 MeV Xe and 1.0 MeV He ions, and the change in near-surface lattice structure was investigated by means of the grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD)and EXAFS. The NiNb and NiTa lattice structures transform from the ordered structures (orthorhombic and monoclinic structures for NiNb and NiTa, respectively) to the amorphous state by the Au, Ni, Al and Xe ion irradiations. Irrespective of such heavy ion species or energies, the lattice structure transformation to the amorphous state almost correlate with the density of energy deposited through elastic collisions.