Effect of Hydrogen ion beam irradiation onto the FIR reflectivity of pulsed laser deposited mirror like Tungsten films

Abstract The optical quality of the First Mirrors (FMs) of a fusion device (burning plasma experiments, ITER) deteriorates due to the erosion by charge exchange neutrals, re-deposition of the eroded material and the lattice damage by the bombardment of the high energetic particles. This degradation of the optical quality of the plasma facing components in such a harsh environment is a serious concern for the reliability of the spectroscopic based optical diagnostics using FM of a fusion device. In this paper, the effect of 8 keV Hydrogen ion beam irradiation onto the FIR reflectivity of Tungsten thin film mirror is presented. The Tungsten thin films were prepared via Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique. The Tungsten mirrors were subjected to X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) for characterization. The specular reflectivities of the Tungsten mirrors before and after exposure to ion beam were recorded with Fourier Transform of Infra-Red (FTIR) technique. The ion penetration depth and straggle into Tungsten thin film and stainless steel (SS) substrate were estimated by Transport of Ions in Matter (TIRM) simulation code. The changes in post exposure IR reflectivity were interpreted in terms of these parameters.