Formation of blisters on the surfaces of metal targets made of the selected materials was studied. The targets were irradiated by 100-200 keV, 1-2 mA proton beam up to the doses above 10/sup 24/ m/sup -2/. Real-time monitoring of the target surface was performed with a set of in situ optical surface diagnostics that allows detection of the moment of blisters appearance. The overview of experimental setup and the results of testing of different materials are presented. The number and the size of blisters gradually increase during the irradiation. Critical fluence of blistering strongly depends on the target temperature, proton energy and surface machining method. The features of blistering under the proton beam irradiation and the effects of hydrogen diffusion and interaction with the target lattice are discussed. [All rights reserved Elsevier].
