Nanometric size effects on irradiation of tin oxide powder

Abstract A nanometric powder of tin oxide (SnO 2 ) has been irradiated with lead ions. The same grains have been observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) before and after irradiation at a fluence of 5×10 12 Pb cm −2 . The shape of largest grains strongly changes while the smallest ones disappear. This phenomenon has been explained by using the thermal spike model. It appears that the irradiation induces an increase of the internal pressure in the grains leading to their explosion. In the smallest grains, the calculated maximal temperatures exceed the boiling point so that these grains disappear.