Contrasts of planar defects in reflection electron microscopy

Reflection electron microscopy (REM) has been used to study surface defects such as surface steps, dislocations emerging on crystal surfaces, and surface reconstructions. However, only a few REM studies have been reported about the planar defects emerging on surfaces. The interaction of planar defects with surfaces may be of considerable practical importance but so far there seems to be only one relatively simple theoretical treatment of the REM contrast and very little experimental evidence to support its predications. Recently, intersections of both 90° and 180° ferroelectric domain boundaries with BaTiO3 crystal surfaces have been investigated by Tsai and Cowley with REM.The REM observations of several planar defects, such as stacking faults and domain boundaries have been continued by the present authors. All REM observations are performed on a JEM-2000FX transmission electron microscope. The sample preparations may be seen somewhere else. In REM, the incident electron beam strikes the surface of a crystal with a small glancing angle.