Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni

Kelvin Y. Xie; Digvijay Yadav; Kenneth Cooper; Yu Lu; Jana Howard; Marcus Hansen; Rijul R. Chauhan; Jung Hun Park; Sunkyung Lee; Yuhyun Park; Andrew Phong; Gi Dong Sim; Yaqiao Wu; Lin Shao; Michael J. Demkowicz

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009

Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni

Kelvin Y. Xie
, Digvijay Yadav
, Kenneth Cooper
, Yu Lu
, Jana Howard
, Marcus Hansen
, Rijul R. Chauhan
, Jung Hun Park
, Sunkyung Lee
, Yuhyun Park
, Andrew Phong
, Gi Dong Sim
, Yaqiao Wu
, Lin Shao
, Michael J. Demkowicz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this study, we examine a nanocrystalline Ni thin film exposed to high-temperature proton irradiation and compare it with as-deposited and annealed-only counterparts. Despite lacking thermal spikes typical of heavy ions, 400 °C proton irradiation drives pronounced grain growth in select grains, whereas annealing alone yields only modest coarsening. Grain-boundary statistics show fewer low-angle boundaries (10–20°) and more high-angle boundaries (55–60°), consistent with irradiation-enhanced mobility of high-misorientation boundaries. The irradiated films retain a random texture, with no evidence of texture development or sharpening. Mechanisms, such as radiation-enhanced grain boundary diffusion, beam-induced heating, and ion channeling-mediated selective grain growth, are unlikely to be the predominant drivers to explain the resultant microstructure. Instead, we suggest irradiation-induced modifications of grain-boundary structure, including possible complexion transitions, as one plausible explanation for this selective grain growth and retention of random texture. However, additional temperature–dose studies are required to confirm the mechanism.

Original language	English
Article number	166009
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Volume	572
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009
State	Published - Mar 2026
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Microstructure characterizations were conducted in the Microscopy and Characterization Suite (MaCS) at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) at Boise State University. K.X. and M.D. would like to thank Dr. Mike Tonks for fruitful discussions. This work was supported by the United States Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Award #DE-SC0018892. The authors would also like to acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 (#23-4565) as part of a Nuclear Science User Facilities Rapid Turnaround Experiment. Partial support for A. Phong was provided by the Undergraduate Summer Research Grant (USRG) program at Texas A&M University.

Keywords

Grain growth
High-temperature irradiation
Nanocrystalline Ni
Proton irradiation
Texture

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009

Cite this

Xie, K. Y., Yadav, D., Cooper, K., Lu, Y., Howard, J., Hansen, M., Chauhan, R. R., Park, J. H., Lee, S., Park, Y., Phong, A., Sim, G. D., Wu, Y., Shao, L., & Demkowicz, M. J. (2026). Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 572, Article 166009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009

@article{7849a50046ad4bcf9de222c98d244787,

title = "Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni",

abstract = "In this study, we examine a nanocrystalline Ni thin film exposed to high-temperature proton irradiation and compare it with as-deposited and annealed-only counterparts. Despite lacking thermal spikes typical of heavy ions, 400 °C proton irradiation drives pronounced grain growth in select grains, whereas annealing alone yields only modest coarsening. Grain-boundary statistics show fewer low-angle boundaries (10–20°) and more high-angle boundaries (55–60°), consistent with irradiation-enhanced mobility of high-misorientation boundaries. The irradiated films retain a random texture, with no evidence of texture development or sharpening. Mechanisms, such as radiation-enhanced grain boundary diffusion, beam-induced heating, and ion channeling-mediated selective grain growth, are unlikely to be the predominant drivers to explain the resultant microstructure. Instead, we suggest irradiation-induced modifications of grain-boundary structure, including possible complexion transitions, as one plausible explanation for this selective grain growth and retention of random texture. However, additional temperature–dose studies are required to confirm the mechanism.",

keywords = "Grain growth, High-temperature irradiation, Nanocrystalline Ni, Proton irradiation, Texture",

author = "Xie, \{Kelvin Y.\} and Digvijay Yadav and Kenneth Cooper and Yu Lu and Jana Howard and Marcus Hansen and Chauhan, \{Rijul R.\} and Park, \{Jung Hun\} and Sunkyung Lee and Yuhyun Park and Andrew Phong and Sim, \{Gi Dong\} and Yaqiao Wu and Lin Shao and Demkowicz, \{Michael J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009",

language = "English",

volume = "572",

journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms",

issn = "0168-583X",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Xie, KY, Yadav, D, Cooper, K, Lu, Y, Howard, J, Hansen, M, Chauhan, RR, Park, JH, Lee, S, Park, Y, Phong, A, Sim, GD, Wu, Y, Shao, L & Demkowicz, MJ 2026, 'Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, vol. 572, 166009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009

TY - JOUR

T1 - Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni

AU - Xie, Kelvin Y.

AU - Yadav, Digvijay

AU - Cooper, Kenneth

AU - Lu, Yu

AU - Howard, Jana

AU - Hansen, Marcus

AU - Chauhan, Rijul R.

AU - Park, Jung Hun

AU - Lee, Sunkyung

AU - Park, Yuhyun

AU - Phong, Andrew

AU - Sim, Gi Dong

AU - Wu, Yaqiao

AU - Shao, Lin

AU - Demkowicz, Michael J.

PY - 2026/3

Y1 - 2026/3

N2 - In this study, we examine a nanocrystalline Ni thin film exposed to high-temperature proton irradiation and compare it with as-deposited and annealed-only counterparts. Despite lacking thermal spikes typical of heavy ions, 400 °C proton irradiation drives pronounced grain growth in select grains, whereas annealing alone yields only modest coarsening. Grain-boundary statistics show fewer low-angle boundaries (10–20°) and more high-angle boundaries (55–60°), consistent with irradiation-enhanced mobility of high-misorientation boundaries. The irradiated films retain a random texture, with no evidence of texture development or sharpening. Mechanisms, such as radiation-enhanced grain boundary diffusion, beam-induced heating, and ion channeling-mediated selective grain growth, are unlikely to be the predominant drivers to explain the resultant microstructure. Instead, we suggest irradiation-induced modifications of grain-boundary structure, including possible complexion transitions, as one plausible explanation for this selective grain growth and retention of random texture. However, additional temperature–dose studies are required to confirm the mechanism.

AB - In this study, we examine a nanocrystalline Ni thin film exposed to high-temperature proton irradiation and compare it with as-deposited and annealed-only counterparts. Despite lacking thermal spikes typical of heavy ions, 400 °C proton irradiation drives pronounced grain growth in select grains, whereas annealing alone yields only modest coarsening. Grain-boundary statistics show fewer low-angle boundaries (10–20°) and more high-angle boundaries (55–60°), consistent with irradiation-enhanced mobility of high-misorientation boundaries. The irradiated films retain a random texture, with no evidence of texture development or sharpening. Mechanisms, such as radiation-enhanced grain boundary diffusion, beam-induced heating, and ion channeling-mediated selective grain growth, are unlikely to be the predominant drivers to explain the resultant microstructure. Instead, we suggest irradiation-induced modifications of grain-boundary structure, including possible complexion transitions, as one plausible explanation for this selective grain growth and retention of random texture. However, additional temperature–dose studies are required to confirm the mechanism.

KW - Grain growth

KW - High-temperature irradiation

KW - Nanocrystalline Ni

KW - Proton irradiation

KW - Texture

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105027733365

U2 - 10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009

DO - 10.1016/j.nimb.2026.166009

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105027733365

SN - 0168-583X

VL - 572

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

M1 - 166009

ER -

Abnormal grain growth driven by high-temperature proton irradiation in nanocrystalline Ni

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this