Structural stability under Xe-ion irradiation of TiZrNbTaV-based high-entropy alloy and nitride films

Refractory high-entropy protective coatings are of interest for nuclear fuel cladding applications due to their corrosion resistant properties and irradiation resistance at elevated temperature. Here, TiZrNbTaV metallic and (TiZrNbTaV)N films were deposited by magnetron co-sputtering. The metal elemental contents of both films were nearly equiatomic. These films were irradiated by Xe ions at room temperature and 500 degrees C, and examined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The as-deposited (TiZrNbTaV)N film showed a single NaCl-type fcc phase and a pronounced columnar growth structure, which could remain intact after irradiation treatments. In contrast, the as-deposited TiZrNbTaV film exhibited an amorphous structure and formed a bcc phase structure after irradiation at 500 degrees C. The TiZrNbTaV film after irradiation at 500 degrees C composed of depth -dependent size of grains. This distribution of grain size is consistent with simulated displacement damage. The stable structure of (TiZrNbTaV)N film under high temperature irradiation indicates that these materials have potential for use as protective coatings for nuclear fuel claddings.Funding Agencies|VINNOVA Competence Centre FunMat-II [2016-05156]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University (Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU) [2009 00971]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation through the Wallenberg Academy Fellows program [KAW-2020.0196]; Swedish Research Council (VR) [2021-03826]; Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province [LQ20A050001]; Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo City [2019A610183]; State Key Laboratory of Digital Home Appliances (Haier) [KLDH202102]; Swedish National Infrastructure in Advanced Electron Microscopy [2021-00171, RIF21-0026]; Swedish Research Council VR-RFI [2017-00646_9]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research [RIF14-0053]