Characterization of β-Silicon Carbide and Potential Use as Irradiation Temperature Monitor

Post-irradiation data on the neutron-induced swelling behaviour and resistivity changes in silicon carbide often does not show a clear trend. This makes a quantitative comparison between different studies difficult. To address the diverging results after irradiation in different studies, a thorough reference study is performed on high quality β-silicon carbide. The results show the response to neutron irradiation may be significantly influenced by structural defects present before irradiation. These findings open a way to improve the accuracy of silicon carbide irradiation temperature monitors.