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Although the size effect in ferroelectric thin films has been known for long time, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood and whether or not there is a critical thickness below which the ferroelectricity vanishes is still under debate. Here, we directly measure the thickness-dependent polarization in ultrathin PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 films via quantitative annular bright field imaging. We find that the polarization is significantly suppressed for films, Understanding ferroelectricity at reduced dimensions will be important for future sub-nanoscale devices based on ferroelectrics. Using high resolution electron microscopy; Gao et al., observe the existence of a measurable polarization at a thickness of just 1.5-unit cells

Catalytic systems designated for preferential oxidation of CO in the presence of H2 are prepared by ball milling of Cu and CeO2, a simple and cheap one-step process to synthesize such catalysts. It is found that after 60 min of milling, a mixture of 8 wt.% Cu–CeO2 powders exhibits CO conversion of 96% and CO selectivity of about 65% at 438 K. Two active oxygen states, which are not observed in case of pure CeO2, were detected in the nanocomposite lattice and attributed to the presence of Cu in surface sites as well as in subsurface bulk sites. Correspondingly, oxidation of CO to CO2 was found to occur in a two-stage process with Tmax ≈ 395/460 K, and oxidation of H2 to H2O likewise in a two-stage process with Tmax ≈ 465/490 K. The milled powder consists of CeO2 crystallites sized 8–10 nm agglomerated to somewhat larger aggregates, with Cu dispersed on the surface of the CeO2 crystallites, and to a lesser extent present as Cu2O. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

The microstructural evolution of Al–2.24 Cu–1.42 Mg–0.9 Fe–0.9 Ni (AA2618) alloy after 195 °C/18 h aging, as well as after 180 and 240 °C/100 h creep, has been studied by transmission electron microscopy and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The Guinier–Preston–Bagaryatsky (GPB) zones/co-clusters, S″, S, and Al9FeNi phases co-exist in the alloys after the 195 °C/18 h aging. After creep, precipitates become coarser and the transformation of GPB zones/co-clusters and S″ to S phase take place. A large number of GPB zones/co-clusters as those in aging state exist after 180 °C/100 h creep which possibly dynamically precipitates during the creep process. After the 240 °C/100 h creep, most of the precipitates are S variants with a few GPB zones and S″ phase. More dislocations appear upon which precipitate colonies form after creep. HREM images show that most of the early precipitates less than about 5 nm cannot exhibit perfect lattice image for the existence of stress. However, certain GPB/co-clusters possessing coherent relationship with the matrix can also be observed. HREM demonstrates that certain S particles viewed along [100]S and [013]S have classic orientation relationship with the matrix, and that those upon the dislocations depart from the standard orientation.

The elastic microstrains in a crystallite of electrodeposited nanocrystalline copper were investigated by analyzing the high resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM) image. The microstrain was considered as consisting of two parts, in which the uniform part was determined with fast Fourier transformation of the HRTEM image, while the non-uniform part of the microstrain in the crystallite was measured by means of peak finding. Atomic column spacing measurements show that the crystal lattice is contracted in the longitudinal direction, while expanded in the transverse direction of the elliptical crystallite, indicating that the variation of microstrain exists mainly near the grain boundary.

The effects of copper addition on the machinability and corrosion resistance of martensitic stainless steel 4Cr16Mo are presented in the article. The results showed that the machinability of stainless steel 4Cr16Mo was obviously improved by adding Cu. When the content of copper in the stainless steel was 1.4%, the machinability of stainless steel was optimal. With the increase in the content of copper, the corrosion resistance of stainless steel 4Cr16Mo was improved. From the observation of the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM), it can be seen that Cu-rich phases were dispersed in the stainless steel, and determined to be about 10 nm.

High-resolution electron microscopy is used to study interfaces between solids with varying degree of atomic ordering. Applying a recently developed technique the structure of amorphous germanium near (111) oriented crystalline silicon is described by its two-dimensional distribution function ρ(x,y) of atoms, and properties of ρ(x,y) are extracted from experimental images. Using extensive image simulations it is further shown that the technique is suitable to measure composition profiles at coherent heterointerfaces.

Growth of Ni on (001) Au has been widely studied. Furthermore it has been shown that a structural change occurs when an Au/Ni multilayer is heated up. This transformation can be described as an ordering which is unexpected from the equilibrium phase diagram. A high-resolution electron microscopy study of the transformation of a coherent Au/Ni multilayer is presented in this paper. The transformation has been characterized by in-situ HREM and by extensive image processings made on both simulated and experimental images.

High-resolution in situ controlled-environment electron microscopy (environmental cell TEM (ETEM) or ECELL) instrumentation and techniques, and some of the key applications to dynamic reaction studies in catalysis, are reviewed. Developments over the past decade or so have led to the novel development of ETEM for in situ studies on the atomic scale of operating catalysts under controlled environments. The powerful ETEM technique enables direct access to the important, but often metastable with respect to temperature and gas atmosphere, intermediate phases in dynamic catalysis processes. Unique insights are provided into reaction mechanisms and the sequences of microstructural and nanochemical evolution of catalyst active site structures associated with selectivity and activity, and potential deactivation and poisoning. The examples demonstrate the pivotal role of ETEM in understanding, developing and controlling novel catalysts and processes. The latest developments include wet-ETEM for in situ dynamic studies of liquid--solid reactions in polymerization and molecular electronics applications.

A ∑ = 11 {332} Ni bicrystal was grown by solidification. The Grain Boundary (GB) atomic structure studied by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) has been shown to depend upon the position in the bicrystal of the extracted sample. Strongly correlated to the atomic structure, (GB) defects (GBD) have been characterized: all their Burgers vectors belong to the Displacement Shift Complete (DSC) lattice and the height of the step associated with each GBD varies up to a few nanometers. In the symmetrical and almost symmetrical GBs, at the head of the bicrystal, the dislocation cores can be well localized, whereas in the asymmetrical GBs, at the end of the bicrystal, their cores are much more difficult to localize on the HREM image. The influence on the GB structures of the impurity content which varies along the bicrystal is also discussed.

The structure of grain boundaries in a granite-origin ultramylonite, composed mainly of fine-grained feldspar and quartz, was studied by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). At most of the boundaries, not only between the same minerals but also between different minerals, lattice fringes in adjacent grains meet at the interface with no other appreciable phases. In these boundaries, some of the straight segments correspond to a low-index plane of one of the connected grains. Boundaries containing voids, with a spheroidal shape elongated along the boundaries, were observed only between quartz grains. It is suggested that these boundaries were formed by healing of microcracks. The structural width of major boundaries, deduced from lattice-fringe imaging, is less than about 0.5 nm.

The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) show that ball milling at room temperature can induce the polytypic transformation of 6H−SiC→3C−SiC. HREM study reveals that a large number of partial dislocations which play an important role in the transformation can be introduced into SiC crystals during BM by the instant and repeated collisions between balls and powder. The phase transformation follows the route: 6H=(3+, 3−)→(4+, 2−)→(5+, 1−)→(6+, 0−).

Environmental electron microscopy has become an important scientific method for fundamental studies of dynamic chemical reaction processes in heterogeneous catalysis and of catalytic growth of carbon nanotubes. Outstanding contributions are resulting from the ability to observe gas‐catalyst surface reactions in situ, on the atomic scale. A great deal of structural and chemical information including lattice modification of working catalysts is possible. This is key to understanding novel reaction processes, including release mechanism of structural oxygen in oxide catalysts in selective oxidation of hydrocarbons and to designing improved catalysts. This brief survey of the recent spectacular developments in environmental high resolution electron microscopy shows that new opportunities are being opened up in catalysis.

The interface structure of α-Mo fib ers in directionally solidified Ni-Al-Mo eutectic alloys has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy and computer-aided graphical techniques. The Mo fibers have square or rectangular cross sections with well defined flat facets and fundamentally have the Bain orientation relationship with respect to the γ matrix lattice. The crystal lattices of the Mo fibers, however, are often rotated with respect to the matrix lattice about their longitudinal axes. Correspondingly, the facet planes deviate from the exact rational (1 1 0)γ′//(1 0 0)α relationship. A computer aided graphical plotting of the atom arrangement at the interfaces suggests that good atomic matching is kept even after the rotation of fibers. High resolution electron microscopy revealed the incorporation of single atomic structural ledges to keep the coherency of the lattices of the matrix and rotated fibers. The relation between the lattice rotation and the facet plane rotation is well explained by the moire and O-lattice models.

Glomerulocyte cellulosic bundles of Polyzoa vesiculiphora were investigated by microdiffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy. In each bundle, hundreds of cellulose microfibrils, having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, are packed regularly with their 0.6 nm lattice planes parallel to each other. Lattice images reveal that the 0.6 nm plane is parallel to the longer edge of the cross section which is similar to the lattice organization of cellulose with a squarish cross section in Valonia spp. More interestingly, all the microfibrils in a bundle have the same directionality of crystallographic c-axis, which suggests that the biosynthesis of the microfibrils within particular bundle occurs unidirectionally.

Submicrometer-grained (SMG) structures were produced in Cu and Ni using an intense plastic straining technique, and the grain boundaries and their vicinities were observed by high-resolution electron microscopy. The grain boundaries exhibited zigzag configurations with irregular arrangements of facets and steps, and thus they were found to be in a high-energy nonequilibrium state. A similar conclusion was reached earlier for SMG Al–Mg solid solution alloys which have much lower melting points than Cu and Ni, suggesting that nonequilibrium grain boundaries are a typical feature of metals processed by intense plastic straining.

We investigated defects in CdZnTe crystals produced from various conditions and their impact on fabricated devices. In this study, we employed transmission and scanning transmission electron microscope (TEM and STEM), because defects at the nano-scale are not observed readily under an optical or infrared microscope, or by most other techniques. Our approach revealed several types of defects in the crystals, such as low-angle boundaries, dislocations and precipitates, which likely are major causes in degrading the electrical properties of CdZnTe devices, and eventually limiting their performance.

Nanoscale materials show a variety of interesting physical and chemical properties. Since the properties are mostly determined by mesoscopic- and atomicscale areas of the materials, characterization of nanoscale materials at the atomic level is crucial for understanding the origin of their properties as well as for tailoring them to industrial needs. High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) is an effective method to observe atomic structures in nanophase materials. The “structure-imaging technique,” originated by Ueda et al., and Cowley and Iijima, contributed much to the development of the method. Innovations are anticipated in (1) three-dimensional analysis of nanophase materials in real space, (2) observation of dynamic phenomena, and (3) extraction of compositional and physical information from nanometer-sized areas. Using the structure-imaging technique, one can observe directly nanometer-scale particles and defect structures such as voids and line and plane defects in crystals, including surfaces and interfaces. There were previously some limitations on the study of the dynamic process on the atomic level since images were captured on films. The recent development of high-sensitivity silicon-integrated-target-television (SIT-TV) cameras has initiated a new stage of HREM.Our time-resolved-high-resolution-electron-microscopy (TRHREM) system is composed of a 200-kV HREM (JEOL: JEM-2010) equipped with a high-sensitivity SIT-TV camera, various types of dedicated sample holders, an ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) sample-preparation chamber, and a digital videotape recorder, as partly illustrated in Figure 5. The HREM images at 0.8–1.0-million magnification are recorded on the videotape recorder. In the U.S.-Japan TV system, one “frame image” of 1/30-s time resolution is composed of two interlaced “field images” of 1/60-s time resolution. The digital videotape recorder enables us to output the two “field images” separately from two frame memories.

The strip projection method has been used here to establish the structural relationships between various two dimensional quasiperiodic structures and certain well known periodic structures. These periodic structures, designated as unmodulated approximants, can transform into their quasiperiodic counterparts in a continuous fashion. The early stages of such transformations are characterized by the occurrence of faults or APBs. There is considerable high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and electron diffraction evidence in favour of this in the case of the β-Mn to octagonal quasicrystal, the σ-phase to dodecagonal quasicrystal and the Al5Ti3 to quasiperiodic superlattice structure transformations.

The study of interfaces in quasicrystalline alloys is relatively new. Apart from the change in orientation, symmetry and chemistry which can occur across homophase and heterophase boundaries in crystalline materials, we have the additional, exciting possibility of an interface between quasicrystalline and its rational approximant. High resolution electron microscopy is a powerful technique to study the structural details of such interfaces. We report the results of a HREM study of the interface between the icosahedral phase and the related Al13Fe4 type monoclinic phase in melt spun and annealed Al65Cu20Fe15 alloy.

The strain compensation produced by heavy boron doping in Si1−xGex layers with x = 0.21, 0.26, and 0.34 grown by solid phase epitaxy on (001) Si wafers has been analyzed using high resolution electron microscopy, high resolution x-ray diffractometry, and ion channeling. The structure of the epilayers consists of a defect-free region located next to the layer-substrate interface and a top region which contains strain-relieving defects. In the undoped samples the defect-free layers are partially relaxed and their relaxation increases as the Ge fraction increases. Substitutional boron incorporated to the SiGe lattice to levels of 2.8 ± 0 3 × 1020 cm−3 during the growth process reduces the lattice mismatch between the epilayers and the substrate. The boron-doped, defect-free layers are thicker than the corresponding undoped layers of the same Ge content and their strain relaxation is lower. It has been shown that it is possible to grow at least 27 nm thick defect-free and fully strained heavily boron-doped layers with x = 0.21 by solid phase epitaxy.

The structures of martensites in a Cu–11.2 wt% Al–3 wt% Ni specimen, which was quenched from 1173 K, have been studied by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and diffraction techniques. Two kinds of martensites, i.e. β′1 and γ′1, coexisting adjacent to each other in the specimen were observed. The γ′1 matensite consists of microtwins with monoclinic structure. Three variants of the twin structure, i.e. {1 2 1}, {2 1 0} and {1 0 1} twins, are arranged within a single plate. The β′1 martensite possesses basically ordered N9R structure, but mixed with thin 2H domains. Some diffraction spots of this martensite shift along the [0 0 1] direction. In addition, extra weak reflections appear in the diffraction pattern due to heterogeneous atomic displacements. The microstructural features of the martensites are examined and discussed.

Electron microscopy with atomic sensitivity enables us to obtain a direct image of the intra-molecular structure of metallofullerenes encapsulated inside single-walled carbon nanotubes. By a comparison of high-resolution images with a simulation to extract the relative atom positions for encaged metal atoms in each molecule, the distribution of the molecular orientations and interactions between adjacent molecules in metallofullerene peapods have been statistically analyzed. The results are suggestive of strong interactions between fullerene–fullerene and fullerene–tube in peapods at room temperature.

High-resolution electron microscopy was used to examine the structural features of grain boundaries in Al–1.5% Mg and Al–3% Mg solid solution alloys produced with submicrometer grain sizes using an intense plastic straining technique. The grain boundaries were mostly curved or wavy along their length, and some portions were corrugated with regular or irregular arrangements of facets and steps. During exposure to high-energy electrons, grain boundary migration occurred to reduce the number of facets and thus to reduce the total boundary energy. The observed features demonstrate conclusively that the grain boundaries in these submicrometer-grained materials are in a high-energy nonequilibrium configuration.

A study of precipitate phases in an Al-Zn-klg alloy in the T74 condition has been conducted by means of high resolution electron microscopy. It has been observed that G.P. zones, eta' and eta phases exist simultaneously in the matrix. The G.P. zones are plate-like forming on (111) matrix plane. The eta' phase has a hexagonal structure with a = 0.496 nm, c = 1.403 nm and the orientation relationship with the matrix is (001)eta'parallel to( )(m), [120](eta)'parallel to[110]m. A new orientation relationship between the eta phase and the matrix is found tobe (001)(eta)parallel to( )(m), [ ](n) parallel to[110](m).

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations on rapidly solidified Nd-Fe-B alloys are presented. The results show the existence of nanophases of different compositions to the nominal Nd2Fe14B as-prepared alloy, which was detected prior to the fast-quenching process. In particular, iron-enriched nanophases are commonly found among the wide variety of nanophases in the final alloy. The possible mechanisms, as well as their relevance to the understanding of the properties of these magnetic materials, are also discussed.

Studies of high-pressure synthesized Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu-O superconductor by electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy are reported. The results of electron diffraction indicate that two superconducting phases 1212 and 1223 exist in the sample and their cell parameters are a=b=3.8 Angstrom, c=12.7 Angstrom and a=b=3.8 Angstrom, c=15.8 Angstrom, respectively. High-resolution electron micrographs were taken from the two phases Hg-1212 and Hg-1223 and from the region of the intergrowth of the two phases. The relation between the structure and superconducting transitional temperature T-c is discussed.

Dislocations in MgO introduced by ion irradiation and by plastic deformation are observed by HREM. Depending on the Burgers vector and the dislocation character, various types of lattice images are obtained. Image simulations are performed for the inclination of dislocations, as well as for dissociated dislocations. A comparison of observed and simulated images shows that inclination of nondissociated dislocations makes them appear as if they were dissociated; in reality a/2(110) dislocations in MgO are not dissociated.

The chemical composition of amorphous SiOx has been analyzed by oxidation studies and is found to be SiO1.7. SiO1.7 appears to be a monophasic amorphous material on the basis of 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance, high resolution electron microscopy, and comparative behavior of a physical mixture of Si and SiO2. Carbothermal reduction and nitridation reactions have been carried out on amorphous SiO1.7 and on amorphous SiO2 obtained from oxidation of SiO1.7. At 1623 K reactions of SiO1.7 lead exclusively to the formation of Si2N2O, while those of SiO2 lead exclusively to the formation of Si3N4. Formation of copious fibers of α-Si3N4 was observed in the latter reaction. It is suggested that the partial pressure of SiO in equilibrium with reduced SiO1.7 and SiO2 during the reaction is the crucial factor that determines the chemistry of the products. The differences in the structures of SiO2 and SiO1.7 have been considered to be the origin of the differences in the SiO partial pressures of the reduction products formed prior to nitridation. The effect of the ratios, C:SiO1.7 and C:SiO2, in the reaction mixture as well as the effect of the temperature on the course of the reactions have also been investigated.

Processing has always been a key component in the development of new materials. Basic scientific understanding of the reactions and transformations that occur has obvious importance in guiding progress. Invaluable insight can be provided by observing the changes during processing, especially at high magnification by in situ microscopy. Now that this can be achieved at the atomic level by using high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), atomic behavior can be seen directly. Accordingly, many deductions concerning reactions in materials at the atomic scale are possible.The purpose of this article is to illustrate the level reached by in situ HREM. The essential procedure is to form a high-resolution image of a standard transmission electron microscope (TEM) sample and then to alter the structure by some means in a controlled manner, such as by heating. Continual recording on videotape allows subsequent detailed analysis of the behavior, even on a frame-by-frame (1/30 second) basis. The most obvious advantage is to follow the atomic rearrangements directly in real time. However, in addition, by continuous recording no stages in a reaction are missed, which can often occur in a series of conventional ex situ annealed samples because of the limited number of samples that can realistically be examined by HREM. One can be sure that the same reaction, in the same area, is being studied. Furthermore, by changing the temperature systematically, extremely precise kinetic measurements can be made (e.g., for activation energies and kinetic laws) and the whole extent of a material transformation can be investigated in one sample, something that would take months of work if studied conventionally. The information provided by in situ HREM is often unique and so it can become an important technique for fundamental materials investigations.

High resolution electron microscopy methods have been used to study the sintering of Pd particles on the surface of carbon support. It was found that geometric non-uniformities, fractures and edge planes of graphite-like carbon, can function as localization centers of Pd particles.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM) allows to study a wide range of device-relevant topics in heteroepitaxial layer structures. Quantitative HREM may be used to obtain chemical information on a near-atomic scale from interfacial transition zones. The physical background is described and demonstrated on several examples in the Al x Gal1−x As/GaAs system. The HREM contrast of antiphase boundaries in InP grown on Si was studied by image simulations and has been compared to experimental images. Silicon carbide precipitates were identified by HREM at the homoepitaxial Si/Si interface. They stem from carbon contamination prior to Si layer growth.

The technique of high-resolution electron microscopy represents a powerful method for characterizing the microstructure of thin films and surfaces. We demonstrate its usefulness by reference to some recent studies of metals, semiconductors, and oxides, in particular, showing that it can be used to follow physical and chemical changes inducedin situ by the electron beam orex situ as a result of annealing or chemical treatment.

Aging experiments were conducted to study initial state Fe-clustering in Au–Fe alloys with Fe content from 10.7 to 33%. Information derived from experiments using transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and high resolution electron microscopy suggests the coexistence of short-range-order and Fe-clusters. At early stages of aging, lobe-like and/or rod-shaped strain contrast images, identified as clusters, were revealed after specimens were further cleaned by an ion-miller. The (11/20) special point diffuse reflections were prominent in the as-quenched condition and/or early stage aging, and the intensities decrease gradually as aging proceeds. After a certain period, (11/20) diffuse reflections disappear but strain contrast images still remain similar. This suggests that the strain contrast images are not related to the (11/20) diffuse reflections. The cluster characteristics of Au–Fe alloys are differentiated from those of Al–Cu and Cu–Be based upon theoretical calculations.

The fine structure of unhydrated cement clinker Ca4Al6SO16 (C4A3S) and its four superstructures have been studied by means of electron diffraction and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The match between experimental images and simulated ones verifies the result of X-ray structural analysis: C4A3S having a cubic lattice with space group l43m,Z = 2. The frequent apperance of forbidden reflections such as 1/2, −1/2, 0 along the 〈110〉* directions of C4A3S imply the presence of superstructures which may be due to an orderly inverse occupation of Ca2+ ions. Various structure models based upon the observed structural images have been proposed for these four superstructures. A new cubic phase witha′ = 1.5 nm is also found by selected area electron diffraction (SAED).

The atomic structures of heterophase interfaces with large misfits (>14% in Ag/Ni and Au/Ni) and with small misfits (∼2% in Ag/NiO and Au/NiO) have been studied by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). It is found that all interfaces are strongly faceted on (111) planes. This indicates that (111) interfaces have the lowest interfacial energy in both metal/metal and metal/metal-oxide systems. For the metal interfaces, this also agrees with determinations of interfacial energies by lattice statics calculations. The large misfit of Ag/Ni and Au/Ni interfaces is accommodated by misfit dislocations. Observations of misfit localization by HREM are in good agreement with images derived from computer simulation, based on relaxed structures, obtained in embedded atom calculations. All misfit dislocations at the Ag/Ni and Au/Ni interfaces lie exactly in the plane of the interfaces, while the dislocations at Ag/NiO and Au/NiO interfaces reside at a stand-off distance, 3 to 4 (111)Ag or (111)Au interplanar spacings from the interfaces.

Ohmic Ta/Ti/Ni/Au contacts to n-GaN have been studied using high resolution electron microscopy (HREM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS). Two different samples were used: A - annealed at 7500C withcontact resistance 5×10-6 Ω cm2 and B-annealed at 7750C with contact resistance 6×10-5 Ω cm2. Both samples revealed extensive in- and out-diffusion between deposited layers with some consumption ofGaNlayerand formation of TixTa1-xN50 (0

The interaction of growth intrinsic stacking faults with inversion domain boundaries in GaN epitaxial layers is studied by high resolution electron microscopy. It is observed that stacking faults may mediate a structural transformation of inversion domain boundaries, from the low energy types, known as IDB boundaries, to the high energy ones, known as Holt-type boundaries. Such interactions may be attributed to the different growth rates of adjacent domains of inverse polarity.

Atomic-scale grain boundary (GB) migration has been directly observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM). Atomic-scale motion of high-angle tilt GBs as well as twist and general GBs at gold island grains with a number of planar facets has been studied at ambient and elevated temperatures. GB migration mechanisms depend on GB structure and geometry. Strong indications for cooperative effects has been found. In this case, as has been proposed before, atoms may undergo small shifts in their lattice positions to be incorporated into the growing grain in a collective mode. At high temperature and in the absence of a strong driving force such small lattice regions are observed to fluctuate back and forth between the two grains. Faceted GBs typically move in spurts. This appears to be inherent to GB migration, whenever the motion is controlled by different structural entities. For some GB geometries the motion was found to proceed by the lateral propagation of atomic-scale steps.

Quantum dot structures containing 2 and 7 layers of small coherent InAs clusters embedded into a Si single crystal matrix were grown by MBE. The structure of these clusters was investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The crystallographic quality of the structure severely depends on the substrate temperature, growth sequence, and the geometrical parameters of the sample. The investigation demonstrates that Si can incorporate a limited volume of InAs in a form of small coherent clusters about 3 nm in diameter. If the deposited InAs layer exceeds a critical thickness, large dislocated InAs precipitates are formed during Si overgrowth accumulating the excess of InAs.

The crystal structure of the Al2CuMg S-phase precipitate in an Al matrix has been determined by quantitative high resolution electron microscopy. This work combines techniques of image processing and quantitative comparison between experimental and simulated images with automatic refinement of imaging and structural parameters.

acad sinica,inst met res,atom imaging solids lab,shenyang 110014,peoples r china.;jin, y (reprint author), inst aeronaut mat,beijing 100095,peoples r china

Available experimental data concerning two possible atomic structures (A and B) of the Σ=11 tilt grain boundary in silicon and germanium are analyzed. Previous empirical calculations concerning low and high temperature stability of these structures are summarized and criticized. New calculations using the semi-empirical tight-binding method (SETBM) are presented for low temperature stability. The tight-binding parameters of Mercer and Chou give results in agreement with experimental observations by high resolution electron microscopy.

High resolution electron microscopy (HREM) was applied to study atomic structure of stacking faults, grain boundaries and interfaces in III-nitrides epitaxial layers grown by MOVPE on sapphire. Defects formed in GaN epitaxial layers grown by MOVPE were reviewed in comparison with those in MBE grown materials

High resolution electron microscopy has been applied to study the structure of epitaxial GaN layers grown by MOVPE on SiC and sapphire substrates. Defects in GaN were systematically studied for undoped, and Si- and Mg-doped samples. For both substrates, the Si-doping was found to decrease the dislocation density at the layer surface, while Mg-doping increased it. The density of nanopipes increased with both types of doping. Cracking of GaN layers was observed for SiC substrates. Crack formation was not detected in layers grown on sapphire. Mechanisms of defect generation are discussed in relation to the initial growth stages, the effect of doping, and the type of substrate.

In a recent work on phase equilibria relations in the BaO:Fe2O3:TiO2 system the existence of sixteen ternary compounds was confirmed. Most of the new found compounds apparently have a new structural type. In this work we employed electron diffraction and high-resolution microscopy in attempt to understand the structures of the new compounds. Since the present work was done on the compounds prepared by solid-state reaction, it also provides a correlation with a single-crystal x-ray work on some of the similar compounds prepared by crystallization from a melt.

Recent work has demonstrated that high resolution electron microscopy in plan-view imaging mode is capable of directly imaging surfaces at a resolution of better than 2 Å. For the particular case of the Si (111) 7×7 surface, we have been able to image not only the adatoms visible in STM images, but all the atoms in the top three atomic layers including the dimers. The potential applications of this approach and its limitations will be discussed.