Irradiated cubic single crystal SiC as a high temperature sensor
Radiation is known to cause point defects formation in different materials. In the case of cubic SiC single crystal radiation flux on the order of 2⋅10 20 neutrons/cm 2 at 0.18 MeV causes over 3% volume lattice expansion. Radiation-induced strain (measurable by X-Ray diffraction) can be relieved when the annealing temperature exceeds the temperature of irradiation. Based on this effect the original technology of maximum temperature measurement was developed a while ago. Single crystal SiC sensor small size (200-500 microns), wide temperature range (150-1450 °C), “no-lead” installation, and exceptional accuracy make it very attractive for use in small, rotating and “hard-to-access” parts, including, but not limited to gas turbine blades, space shuttle ceramic tiles, automobile engines, etc. With the advances in X-Ray diffraction measurements, crystal and thin film growth techniques, it is the time to revise and update this technology. Modeling radiation damage, as well as annealing effects are also beneficial.
Decoupling of silicon carbide optical sensor response for temperature and pressure measurements
Single crystal silicon carbide is a chemically inert transparent material with superior oxidation-resistant properties at elevated temperatures compared to black polycrystalline silicon carbide substrates. These improved properties make crystalline silicon carbide a good optical sensor material for harsh environments such as combustion chambers and turbine systems. Interferometric optical sensors are orders of magnitude more sensitive than electrical sensors and are proposed for these applications. Silicon carbide itself behaves as a Fabry-Perot etalon eliminating the need for an external interferometer for any measurement using this silicon carbide as a sensor. The principle of the optical sensor in this study is the temperature- and pressure-dependent refractive index of silicon carbide, which can be used to determine the temperatures and pressures of gases that are in contact with silicon carbide. Interference patterns produced by a silicon carbide (4H-SiC) wafer due to multiple reflections of a helium...
Atomic scale simulation of defect production in irradiated 3C-SiC
Molecular dynamics simulations using a modified Tersoff potential have been used to study the primary damage state and statistics of defect production in displacement cascades in 3C-SiC. Recoils with energies from 0.25 to 50 keV have been simulated at 300 K. The results indicate that: (1) the displacement threshold energy surface is highly anisotropic; (2) the dominant surviving defects are C interstitials and vacancies; (3) the defect production efficiency decreases with increasing recoil energy; (4) defect clusters are much smaller and more sparse compared to those reported in metals; and (5) a small fraction of the surviving defects are antisite defects.