| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T23: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Advanced Characterization of Materials for Nuclear, Radiation, and Extreme Environments IV
|
| Presentation Title |
High-Temperature Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Aluminum Nitride |
| Author(s) |
Ryan J. Chesser, Marat Khafizov |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Ryan J. Chesser |
| Abstract Scope |
This research utilizes in-situ measurement of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) resonators to characterize piezoelectric materials in a high-temperature nuclear reactor environment. These ultrasonic methods rely on the piezoelectric effect for the application and detection of a localized strain field. Aluminum nitride (AlN) devices, including thin-film AlN/sapphire and single-crystal AlN, were tested up to 500oC temperature and 450 kW reactor power (1.9e12 n/cm2s neutron flux). The resonant frequency, based on the ultrasonic wave speed, responds to step changes in temperature and neutron flux in accordance with the device sensitivity to elastic constants. The kinetic behavior of this response describes the interaction mechanism. The response observed during neutron flux transients is attributed to temperature increase from gamma heating and accumulation of radiation-induced defects. The demonstrated repeatability and reliability of SAW devices are attractive for sensor applications in extreme environments. |