Electron-irradiation-induced crystallization of amorphous orthophosphates

Amorphous LaPO{sub 4}, EuPO{sub 4}, GdPO{sub 4}, ScPO{sub 4}, and fluorapatite [Ca{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F] were irradiated by electron beam in a TEM. Irradiations were done at -150 to 300 C, 80 to 200 keV, and current densities from 0.3 to 16 A/cm{sup 2}. In all cases, the materials crystallized to form a randomly oriented polycrystalline assemblage. Crystallization is driven dominantly by inelastic processes, although ballistic collisions with target nuclei can be important above 175 keV, particularly in apatite. Using a high current density, crystallization is so fast that continuous lines of crystallites can be ``drawn`` on the amorphous matrix