Advanced characterization techniques for high-angular and high-spatial resolutions in the scanning electron microscope

High-angular resolution electron diffraction-based techniques aim at measuring relative lattice rotations and elastic strains with an accuracy about 1.10-4 (<0.01°) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). These metrics are essential for the fine characterization of deformation structures in terms of grain internal disorientations and geometrically necessary dislocation densities. To this purpose, relative deformations between electron diffraction patterns are retrieved with subpixel accuracy using digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. Here, a novel DIC approach is proposed. It relies on a linear homography [1], i.e., a geometric transformation often met in photogrammetry to model projections. The method is implemented in ATEX-software [2], developed at the University of Lorraine. Its performances are illustrated from both a semi-conductor and a metal. First, lattice rotation and elastic strain fields are investigated in the vicinity of a giant screw dislocation in GaN single crystal using the electron backscattered diffraction technique (Fig. 1). Second, the proposed method is coupled with the on-axis Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) configuration to characterize a nanocrystalline aluminium obtained by severe plastic deformation. On-axis TKD consists in observing a thin foil in transmission in the SEM, using a scintillator is placed beneath the specimen, perpendicularly to the electron beam. Thanks to this coupling, high-spatial (3-6 nm) and high-angular (~0.01°) resolutions are simultaneously achieved in SEM. [3]

Transient x-ray diffraction used to diagnose shock compressed Si crystals on the Nova laser

Transient x-ray diffraction is used to record time-resolved information about the shock compression of materials. This technique has been applied on Nova shock experiments driven using a hohlraum x-ray drive. Data were recorded from the shock release at the free surface of a Si crystal, as well as from Si at an embedded ablator/Si interface. Modeling has been done to simulate the diffraction data incorporating the strained crystal rocking curves and Bragg diffraction efficiencies. Examples of the data and post-processed simulations are presented

Supersonic strain front driven by a dense electron-hole plasma

We study coherent strain in (001) Ge generated by an ultrafast laser-initiated high density electron-hole plasma. The resultant coherent pulse is probed by time-resolved x-ray diffraction through changes in the anomalous transmission. The acoustic pulse front is driven by ambipolar diffusion of the electron-hole plasma and propagates into the crystal at supersonic speeds. Simulations of the strain including electron-phonon coupling, modified by carrier diffusion and Auger recombination, are in good agreement with the observed dynamics.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Probing impulsive strain propagation with x-ray pulses

Pump-probe time-resolved x-ray diffraction of allowed and nearly forbidden reflections in InSb is used to follow the propagation of a coherent acoustic pulse generated by ultrafast laser-excitation. The surface and bulk components of the strain could be simultaneously measured due to the large x-ray penetration depth. Comparison of the experimental data with dynamical diffraction simulations suggests that the conventional model for impulsively generated strain underestimates the partitioning of energy into coherent modes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX, eps. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. http://prl.aps.or

Theory and Applications of X-ray Standing Waves in Real Crystals

Theoretical aspects of x-ray standing wave method for investigation of the real structure of crystals are considered in this review paper. Starting from the general approach of the secondary radiation yield from deformed crystals this theory is applied to different concreat cases. Various models of deformed crystals like: bicrystal model, multilayer model, crystals with extended deformation field are considered in detailes. Peculiarities of x-ray standing wave behavior in different scattering geometries (Bragg, Laue) are analysed in detailes. New possibilities to solve the phase problem with x-ray standing wave method are discussed in the review. General theoretical approaches are illustrated with a big number of experimental results.Comment: 101 pages, 43 figures, 3 table