Mechanism for orientation dependence of blisters on W surface exposed to D plasma at low temperature

The orientation dependence of blister formation induced by D plasma exposure at low temperature (about 523 K) on rolled tungsten and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) W samples was studied by scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Severe blistering was observed on grains with surface normal directions close to [111], while the [001] surfaces are the most resistant to blister formation. Cavities induced by D2 gas were observed beneath [111], [110] and [001] surfaces, independently on whether blisters were observed on the surface or not. The [111] surface is more prone to blister formation, because it is easily plastically deformed by the D2 gas pressure. Some blister edges and steps were perpendicular to [110] directions, which may be induced by the slipping of dislocations on {110} planes. The blister morphology induced by D plasma can be well explained by the blister model based on plastic deformation mechanism. •The blistering behavior was severe on the [111] surface, while the [001] surfaces are the most resistant to blister formation. The CVD samples with [001] texture showed good resistance to blister formation, so it is suggested that it may be effective to alleviate blisters by texturing of W.•The blister formation model based on the plastic deformation of W can well explain the heterogeneity of blister formation and the different shapes of blisters on surfaces with different normal directions. The [111] surface is more prone to blister formation, because the surface layer is easily deformed by the D2 gas pressure beneath the surface. The blister edges and steps were speculated to be induced by the slipping of dislocations.