Grain growth in Zr-Fe multilayers under in situ ion irradiation

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations during in situ ion irra diation were used to study grain growth in free-standing Zr-Fe thin film mu ltilayers at 25 and 300 K. Irradiations were performed with three different types of ions: 100 keV Ar, 300 keV Kr and 500 keV Xe ions to fluences of 3 x 10(15) ion cm(-2). Grain growth during irradiation at 20 K occurs at a s imilar rate to that at 300 K. At both temperatures the grain growth rate wa s proportional to the total number of displacements, regardless of the ion used for the irradiation. We discuss these results in terms of two previous models for grain growth under irradiation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.