Tile analysis at VTT Research Centre Finland
In collaboration with the Fusion and Plasma Technology team at VTT Research Centre Finland and DIARC Technology Inc., functional marker coatings for selected wall tiles or probes are designed and produced for selected wall tiles or probes of ASDEX Upgrade and JET. Limiter and divertor tiles are removed from the torus of ASDEX Upgrade or JET and surface-analysed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). It is a sensitive technique to determine the elemental composition of the studied samples as a function of depth from the surface.
In fusion research, we have used SIMS to study depth profiles of beryllium, carbon, and tungsten (main elements in the wall-tile samples) as well as deuterium (principal plasma fuel) at different poloidal locations. Based on this data we have determined the erosion of the tiles, deposition of material on them, and accumulation of deuterium into critical regions. The work is funded by Euratom, Tekes, and EFDA under the Plasma-Wall Interaction Task Force.
For further information, please contact Antti Hakola (Antti.Hakola@vtt.fi).