Quantitative imaging of anti-phase domains by polarity sensitive orientation mapping using electron backscatter...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid State Physics
• Crystallography

Background:

• Advanced nanoscale characterization is crucial for understanding material properties.
• Extended defects significantly influence material behavior.
• Non-destructive, rapid, and definitive techniques are in high demand.

Purpose of the Study:

• To non-destructively characterize and quantify antiphase domains (APDs) in GaP thin films.
• To investigate the influence of substrate offcut on APD formation.
• To establish a reliable method for APD analysis in non-centrosymmetric materials.

Main Methods:

• Application of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in a scanning electron microscope.
• Analysis of asymmetrical intensity distributions in EBSD patterns.
• Comparison with dynamical electron diffraction simulations.
• Utilizing automated cross-correlation for mean angular error mapping.

Main Results:

• Successfully imaged and quantified APDs in GaP thin films.
• Found that GaP films grown on substrates with a 4° offcut from [110] exhibit no APDs.
• Observed APDs in GaP films grown on exactly oriented substrates.
• Demonstrated the correlation between substrate orientation and APD presence.

Conclusions:

• EBSD is an effective non-destructive technique for characterizing APDs in GaP thin films.
• Substrate offcut is a critical factor in preventing APD formation.
• The described methodology is adaptable for analyzing similar defects in other non-centrosymmetric materials.