Mechanical and Structural Properties of Ion Implanted Yttria Stabiizeed Zirconia Ceramics

ABSTRACTSingle crystal yttria stabilized zirconia was implanted with 100 keV Ca+, Al+, and O2+ ions at fluences of 1015 to 6 × 1016 ions/cm2; . Blistering was observed at doses of 3 × 1016; O2;+ cm−2; and 6 × 1016; Al+ cm−2; but none was evident with Ca+. Knoop microhardness with a shallow indenter penetration depth peaked at a dose of 1016; ions/cm−2; for both Al+ and O2;+ but Ca+ produced no effect on microhardness. Vicker's microhardness with a much greater indenter penetration depth was not changed detectably by implantation but fracture toughness measurements from the same Vicker's indentations exhibited 10–23% increases at the highest O2+ doses and 20–25% increases at high Al+ doses. Annealing the highest implant doses at 1200° reduced the fracture toughness to pre-implant levels. Reflection electron diffraction showed that the surface had not been made amorphous by the 6 × 1016; Al+ dose as a well crystallized diffraction pattern was obtained.