G. Kögel

A pulsing system for low energy positrons

Abstract A pulsing system for a low energy positron beam of variable energy was developed. The system consists of a beam chopper and a beam buncher. The performance of the system was tested in various positron lifetime measurements. A time resolution of 135 ps was achieved for the pulsing system at positron energies in the range between 0.5 keV and 28 keV.

An improved pulsed low-energy positron system

A pulsed low-energy positron system for positron-lifetime spectroscopy has been up-graded and modified with regard to its three main components. A new moderator preparation chamber has been added, the radiofrequency pulsing concept has been modified using a pre-buncher and a pre-chopper in front of the existing chopper-buncher section. Furthermore, a new target station allowing measurements at variable temperatures has been incorporated. The lifetime spectra now reveal a strongly increased ratio of peak to background and of peak to satellite peak.

Defect identification in GaAs grown at low temperatures by positron annihilation

We use positron annihilation to study vacancy defects in GaAs grown at low temperatures (LT–GaAs). The vacancies in as-grown LT–GaAs can be identified to be Ga monovacancies, VGa, according to their positron lifetime and annihilation momentum distribution. The charge state of the vacancies is neutral. This is ascribed to the presence of positively charged AsGa+ antisite defects in vicinity to the vacancies. Theoretical calculations of the annihilation parameters show that this assignment is consistent with the data. The density of VGa is related to the growth stoichiometry in LT–GaAs, i.e., it increases with the As/Ga beam equivalent pressure (BEP) and saturates at 2×1018 cm−3 for a BEP⩾20 and a low growth temperature of 200 °C. Annealing at 600 °C removes VGa. Instead, larger vacancy agglomerates with a size of approximately four vacancies are found. It will be shown that these vacancy clusters are associated with the As precipitates formed during annealing.

Evidence for negatively charged vacancy defects in 6H-SiC after low-energy proton implantation

We have used pulsed-slow-positron-beam-based positron lifetime spectroscopy to investigate the nature of acceptors and charge states of vacancy-type defects in low-energy proton-implanted 6H-SiC(H). We can infer from the temperature dependence of the lifetime spectra that neutral and negatively charged vacancy clusters exist in the track region. Depending on annealing, they give rise to positron lifetimes of 257±2, 281±4, and 345±2 ps, respectively. The 281 ps cluster likely has an ionization level near the middle of the band gap. By comparison with theory, the 257 and 280 ps are identified as (VC–VSi)2 and (VC–VSi)3 clusters, respectively. In addition, other acceptors of ionic type act as strong trapping centers at low temperature (T<150 K). Neutral monovacancy-like complexes are also detected with a lifetime of 160±2 after 900 °C annealing.

Positron diffusion in solids and the reconstruction of inhomogeneous defect distributions from lifetime measurements

The time dependent diffusion trapping equations for positrons implanted into inhomogeneous solids are analyzed. This problem is of central importance in the study of polycrystalline materials and for the application of pulsed positron beams to defect studies in materials research. The main problem in previous investigations was the necessity to solve the time-dependent diffusion equation. It prevented analytical treatment in all but the simplest applications. For the first time this difficulty is eliminated by invoking a new concept, the observable local annihilation characteristics for local implantation of positrons into the thermalized ensemble. It will be shown that the local annihilation characteristics are governed by field equations which reduce to the well known quantities of the standard trapping model in the case of homogeneous defect distributions. Furthermore, inhomogeneous defect distributions are uniquely determined from the field equations provided the local annihilation characteristics are known. Analytical solutions are derived and applied successfully to recent experimental results for a selection of simple, but realistic problems. The formal procedure includes internal drift fields and could be extended to cover also the epithermal period of positron thermalization, if necessary.

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy in Polymers

During the last decades positron annihilation has become a very powerful tool for the investigation of polymers. In particular, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) yields valuable information on free volume and other properties. The present invited paper gives examples from recent research of the Kiel group. Generally, the so-called standard model, developed by Tao and Eldrup, is used to determine the size of free volume holes from the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) lifetime o-Ps. Despite its success, the model resorts to several assumptions, including a spherical hole shape. Although the deviations from spherical shape are significant for holes above the size of positronium, average hole sizes Vh, determined by the standard model from o-Ps, show a good correlation with diffusivities D of inert gas molecules when plotted as 1/Vh vs logD, as predicted by the free volume approach. The correlation can further be improved by taking into account the cohesive energy density of the polymers. The o-Ps intensity Io-Ps is often taken as a measure of the hole density. However, Io-Ps is also affected by the Ps formation probability and drops during mechanical milling of polymers due to formation of free radicals by chain scission, for instance. IoPs is also seen to change during phase separation in polymer blends. This can be explored to detect both, the binodal and the spinodal decomposition, already at the initial stage which is not easily accessible by other techniques. PALS was also used to study thermosets. Here we show in-situ results on the cross-linking of an epoxy resin. Finally, we demonstrate the benefits of the positron beam technique which allows investigations of polymer thin films and surfaces. For example, very recent results, obtained at the positron beam in Munich, on the structure and dynamics of epoxy films as function of film thickness will be presented.

First platinum moderated positron beam based on neutron capture

Abstract A positron beam based on absorption of high energy prompt γ-rays from thermal neutron capture in 113 Cd was installed at a neutron guide of the high flux reactor at the ILL in Grenoble. Measurements were performed for various source geometries, dependent on converter mass, moderator surface and extraction voltages. The results lead to an optimised design of the in-pile positron source which will be implemented at the Munich research reactor FRM-II. The positron source consists of platinum foils acting as γ−e + e − -converter and positron moderator. Due to the negative positron work function moderation in heated platinum leads to emission of monoenergetic positrons. The positron work function of polycrystalline platinum was determined to 1.95(5) eV. After acceleration to several keV by four electrical lenses the beam was magnetically guided in a solenoid field of 7.5 mT leading to a NaI-detector in order to detect the 511 keV γ-radiation of the annihilating positrons. The positron beam with a diameter of less than 20 mm yielded an intensity of 3.1×10 4 moderated positrons per second. The total moderation efficiency of the positron source was about e =1.06(16)×10 −4 . Within the first 20 h of operation a degradation of the moderation efficiency of 30% was observed. An annealing procedure at 873 K in air recovers the platinum moderator.

Positron annihilation studies of neutron irradiated and thermally treated reactor pressure vessel steels

Abstract Positron annihilation lifetime measurements using the pulsed low energy positron system (PLEPS) were applied for the first time for the investigation of defects of irradiated and thermally treated reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. PLEPS results showed that the changes in the microstructure of the RPV-steel properties caused by neutron irradiation and post-irradiation thermal treatment can be detected. The samples originated from the Russian 15Kh2MFA and Sv10KhMFT steels, commercially used at WWER-440 reactors, were irradiated near the core at NPP Bohunice (Slovakia) to neutron fluences in the range from 7.8×1023 to 2.5×10 24 m −2 .

Identification of getter defects in high-energy self-implanted silicon at Rp/2

Abstract A strong gettering effect appears after high-energy Si self-implantation and subsequent annealing in two zones at the projected range of the silicon ions (Rp) and in a region at about Rp/2. The defects responsible for the impurity gettering at Rp/2 were studied by means of positron annihilation. It was found that diffusing Cu impurities were captured by small vacancy agglomerates. Monoenergetic positron beams with improved depth resolution were used to characterize the defects. Excellent depth resolution was obtained when samples were wedge-shaped polished and studied using the Munich Scanning Positron Microscope.

Positron studies of polycrystalline TiC

The mean positron lifetime tau , positron diffusion length L, and the positron and electron work functions ( phi + and phi -) for polycrystalline TiC have been experimentally determined. The results were tau =160(2) ps, L+=138(27) nm and phi -=3.96(0.08) eV; phi + was shown to be almost certainly positive. These results strongly support the suggestion from recent first-principles electronic structure and positron state calculations that positions are trapped by and annihilate in metal vacancies in this material. XPS measurements indicate that the trapping sites may be predominantly in thin carbon-rich layers between grains, a picture which may also explain the long near-surface diffusion length.