Stage I E recovery of electron-irradiated pure silver and of its dilute alloys with cadmium and indium

Irradiations of silver specimens with electrons in the energy range 0.4–1.7 MeV were performed at liquid-helium temperatures. A subthreshold phenomenon has been observed which is taking over below ∼750 keV. After separation of this effect, we have studied the annealing spectra of pure silver and of AgCd (25 and 50 ppm Cd) and AgIn (15 and 50 ppm In) diluted alloys following irradiation with different doses of 1.7-MeV electrons and after irradiation doping. The stage IE recovery has been analyzed in terms of the chemical reaction rate theory. The corresponding rate equations have been solved numerically yielding the following values for the capture radii of a silver self-interstitial atom by a Cd and an In impurity: rCdAg=0.15rv, rInAg= (0.05–0.10) rv, where rv is its annihilation radius at a vacancy. The best fit was obtained with a value of Em=88 meV for the migration energy of a self-interstitial.