High Energy Heavy Ion Tracks in Nanocrystalline Silicon Nitride

Abstract

Silicon nitride is the only nitride ceramic where latent tracks have been registered. There is almost no data devoted to nanocrystalline Si3N4 despite the actuality of studying properties of nanomaterials, in particular a radiation stability. This work was dedicated to study effect of irradiation with high energy heavy ions in nanocrystalline silicon nitride by TEM means being the unique direct research method available for nanomaterials. The threshold electronic loss power was estimated at ~17 keV/nm level based on the determined track radii. The comparative analysis of present results and previous data for polycrystalline Si3N4 irradiated at the same conditions gives a reason to expect the radiation stability of silicon nitride should not depend on the crystal grain size sufficiently