Post-Irradiation Annealing of Bi Ion Tracks in Si3N4: In-Situ and Ex-Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy Study
Ibrayeva A. O’Connell J. Rymzhanov R. Janse van Vuuren A. Skuratov V.
October 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Crystals
2025#15Issue 10
High-energy (710 MeV) Bi ion track morphology in polycrystalline silicon nitride was investigated during post-irradiation annealing. Using both in-situ and ex-situ transmission electron microscopy, we monitored the recovery of crystallinity within initially amorphous ion track regions. In-situ annealing involved heating samples from room temperature to 1000 °C in 50 °C increments, each held for 10 s. We observed a steady decrease in both the size and number of tracks, with only a small number of residual crystalline defects remaining at 1000 °C. Ex-situ annealing experiments were conducted at 400 °C, 700 °C, and 1000 °C for durations of 10, 20, and 30 min. Complete restoration of the crystalline lattice occurred after 30 min at 700 °C and 20 min at 1000 °C. Due to inherent differences in geometry, heat flow, and stress conditions between thin lamella and bulk specimens, in-situ and ex-situ results cannot be compared. Molecular dynamics simulations further revealed that track shrinkage begins in cells within picoseconds, supporting the notion that recrystallization can start on very short timescales. Overall, these findings demonstrate that thermal recrystallization of damage induced by swift heavy ion irradiation in polycrystalline Si3N4 is possible. This study provides a foundation for future research aimed at better understanding radiation damage recovery in this material.
high-resolution transmission , in-situ and ex-situ annealing , ion tracks , radiation defects , swift heavy ions
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School of Computer Science and Mathematics, KIMEP University, 2 Abai Ave., Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1 Ibragimov St., Almaty, 050032, Kazakhstan
Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Nelson Mandela University, Building 124, South CampusUniversity Way, Summerstrand, Gqebertha, 6001, South Africa
Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Research, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 6 Joliot-Curie St., Dubna, 141980, Russian Federation
Institute of Nuclear Physics and Engineering, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, 31 Kashirskoye Sh., Moscow, 115409, Russian Federation
Department of Nuclear Physics, Dubna State University, 19 Universitetskaya Str., Dubna, 141980, Russian Federation
School of Computer Science and Mathematics
Institute of Nuclear Physics
Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy
Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Research
Institute of Nuclear Physics and Engineering
Department of Nuclear Physics
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