The identification of atomic defect chain configurations in ion irradiated Si by high resolution electron microscopy

In a high resolution electron microscope lattice imaging study of As+ ion damaged Si, <110> vacancy and interstitial chain type defects have been detected. The presence has also been observed of intermediate defect configurations (IDC's) consisting of 5-7 membered Si ring structures such as a 900 edge dislocation dipole and a more extended (113) stacking fault configuration. By image matching of experimental and calculated electron micrographs obtained from multislice dynamical diffraction calculations the optimum criteria for detecting atomic defect chains under axial illumination have been established. A dislocation dipole and other IDC chains in Si are identified because of lattice distortion where an inclined electron beam gives the most reliable image information transfer. (author)