Effect of medium energy He+, Ne+ and Ar+ ion irradiation on the Hf-In-C thin film composites

Thin films of Hf-In-C ternary compounds were synthesized by a 2-step method consisting of a low-energy ion beam sputtering and thermal annealing. The radiation tolerance of the composites and the effects of irradiation by medium energy light and heavy ions (100 keV He+, 100 keV Ne+, and 200 keV Ar+) with an extreme fluence (10(17) ions/cm(2)) were analyzed by several methods: composition and profiling of elements by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy and Nuclear Resonance Analysis, microstructure and surface morphology by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy, and mechanical properties (elastic modulus and hardness) by nanoindentation.The study showed that the as-prepared Hf-In-C thin films form a mixture of different binary and ternary phases, including nanostructured Hf2InC, and oxides of metallic building elements. The irradiation with light ions (He+) had only a mild effect on the structure, composition, and mechanical properties of the composites. However, irradiation with heavy ions (Ne+, Ar+) led to a significant change in all monitored parameters and an overall collapse of the sample structure (especially for the Ar+ ions). It turned out that although thin Hf-In-C composites show to be highly tolerant to light ions, they have very limited resistivity to medium energy heavy ions.