Temperature dependence of the deuterium concentration in C-Si codeposits

Abstract

Silicon carbide is a low-Z material seen as a possible alternative to graphite for some plasma-facing components in magnetic confinement fusion reactors. In this study, we have looked at the deuterium content of C-Si codeposits created by sputter deposition at temperatures 300–900 K. As measured by thermal desorption spectroscopy, the D content of such deposits was found to be very similar to the D-content of carbon deposits created in the same way. The temperature dependence followed very closely the trends observed for plasma-created codeposits, with the D content decreasing above 400 K. This suggests that the tritium retention associated with SiC first wall materials would be very similar to that of a graphite first wall.

Keywords

• Codeposition
• Silicon carbide
• Deuterium content
• Thermal desorption spectroscopy