Change in mechanical properties of ion-irradiated ceramics studied by nanoindentation method

Changes in hardness of several representative ceramics and semiconductors associated with ion irradiation were systematically studied, using a combined method of nanoindentation and finite element analysis. We established a new method for precisely extracting hardness of the embedded damaged layer of ion-irradiated samples. The method was applied to silicon carbide, alpha-quartz, silica glass and silicon. To semi-quantitatively discuss their mechanical properties changed by irradiation, we introduced a phenomenological model expressed by a set of kinetic equations, and extracted material parameters by fitting the experimental data with the theoretical model. Finally we propose a new atomistic mechanism for plastic deformations of covalent amorphous materials. The present results would give a standard framework to discuss the mechanical property changes of ceramics irradiated with energetic particle.