Dynamics of changes in structural properties of AlN ceramics after Xe⁺²² ion irradiation

Investigation of mechanisms of defect formation as a result of the interaction of heavy ions with ceramic materials and subsequent structural disturbances in the volume is considerably interesting for the prediction of ceramics behavior whose radiation resistance is determined by defects created during irradiation. Also, the energy losses arising from the interaction of incident particles with target atoms, as well as an increase in temperature upon irradiation, can have a significant effect on defects formation and their subsequent evolution in the structure. The paper presents the results of studying of defect formation processes in AlN ceramics under irradiation with Xe⁺²² ions with fluence from 5 × 10¹¹ to 1.2 × 10¹⁴ ion/cm². The change in the main crystallographic characteristics, as well as the decrease in the magnitude of the Griffiths criterion and the stresses in the lattice, indicates the processes of defect formation and their subsequent evolution in the structure.