LAUSR

Abstract Irradiation grain growth of CeO2 was studied using in-situ ion irradiation with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thin films of ceria were produced by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) and then irradiated at the Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscope (IVEM) with 1 MeV Kr2+ ions at temperatures of 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C. During irradiation at the elevated temperatures, the CeO2 phase remained stable and its grains grew with irradiation. Grain growth was only weakly dependent on irradiation temperature between 400°C and 800°C. The grain growth kinetics were evaluated by a thermal spike model that was used to calculate the activation energy for grain growth.