Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Microscopic Visualization of Porous Nanographenes Synthesized through a Combination of Solution and On-Surface Chemistry
Published on: March 4, 2021
Point defect configurations of supersaturated Au atoms inside Si nanowires
Sang Ho Oh1, Klaus van Benthem, Sergio I Molina
1Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA. shoh@kbsi.re.kr
Abstract:
Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is used to reveal individual Au atom configurations inside Si nanowires grown by Au-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We identify a substitutional and three distinct interstitial configurations, one of which has not been previously identified. We confirm the stability of the observed point defect configurations by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The observed number densities of the various configurations are in accord with their calculated formation energies. The concentration of Au atoms is larger than the solubility limit, but the effect may be caused by the STEM beam.
Related Concept Videos
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Stoichiometric Point Defects
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects
Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects

