Damage behavior of He‐irradiated amorphous SiC at high temperatures

This study investigates the damage behavior of He‐irradiated amorphous SiC at 750°C. Using transmission electron microscopy and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, He bubble formation, lattice defects, and recrystallization phenomena in amorphous SiC were investigated. Results show that He bubbles in amorphous SiC are smaller and more numerous than those in crystalline SiC. Empirical potential molecular dynamics simulations were carried out. It found that small He bubbles with the mean size of about 0.3 nm were easily formed in amorphous SiC. The study also reveals irradiation‐accelerated recrystallization of amorphous SiC at 750°C, driven by defect dynamics and atomic mobility. These findings highlight the role of structural disorder in mitigating He‐induced embrittlement and provide insights for designing SiC‐based materials for nuclear applications.