Surface modification and sputtering erosion of reduced activation ferritic martensitic steel F82H exposed to low-energy, high flux deuterium plasma

•Exposure of F82H steel targets with low-energy D plasma leads to formation of micro-structured layers on the target surfaces.•The surface morphology of the targets depends strongly on the exposure temperature.•The erosion yield of the F82H steel is increased by a factor of about two as the exposure temperature rises from 403 to 773K.