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Biomedical subjects

D Cherns

Publications and source records attributed to D Cherns.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

CBED study of grain misorientations in AlGaN epilayers.

Large angle convergent beam electron diffraction (LACBED) has been used to examine AlGaN epilayers grown by facet-controlled epitaxial lateral overgrowth on GaN/(0001) sapphire substrates in prototype UV laser structures. The substrates, defined by masks with seed openings along a <10-10> stripe direction, had GaN seed columns with {11-22} surfaces. Studies were carried out on cross-sectional samples cut perpendicular to the stripe axis. An LACBED analysis of the orientation of (000 2) planes, and of the (11-20) planes parallel to the stripe axis, revealed that the AlGaN wings were both rotated by angles of 1-2 x 10(-2)radians about the 10-10 stripe axis with respect to the underlying GaN, and distorted due to misfit strains. It is shown that the results are consistent with the observed structure of the AlGaN/GaN and the wing/wing boundaries, and with a new model for the generation of a-type misfit dislocations at the AlGaN/GaN interface.

Journal Article↗

Electron holography studies of the charge on dislocations in GaN.

Off-axis electron holography in a transmission electron microscope is used to examine the charge on threading edge dislocations in n-GaN (0001). It is shown that the crystal inner potential is reduced within 10 nm of the dislocation consistent with a negatively charged core. The results can be explained by a simple unscreened potential due to a core charge of about 4 x 10(7) electrons cm (-1). The origin of this charge is discussed. The application of the method to other types of dislocation is also considered.

Journal Article↗

Direct observation of piezoelectric fields in GaN/ InGaN/GaN strained quantum wells

Off-axis electron holography is used to examine a single thin InGaN quantum well in GaN viewed in cross-section. The results show a phase offset across the well, which, under weakly diffracting conditions, is an approximately linear function of specimen thickness. This phase offset is ascribed to a change AV0 in the specimen mean inner potential V0 caused by a piezoelectric field induced by misfit strains in the InGaN layer. This paper examines the dependence of the phase offset on the diffracting conditions and on thin foil relaxation effects. It is shown that relaxation is negligible for the film thicknesses involved. Using a range of weakly diffracting conditions, the phase offset is measured as deltaV0/V0 = 0.042+/-0.012. Zone axis convergent beam electron diffraction patterns were taken and compared to simulations to determine the crystal polarity, showing the magnitude of the inner potential increased in the [0001] direction. By using dark-field displacement fringes to measure the InGaN layer thickness, and recent estimates of V0, the magnitude of the piezoelectric field is determined. This paper assesses the accuracy and limitations of electron holography for the studies of electric fields in other GaN structures.

Journal Article↗

Space-group determination of human tooth-enamel crystals.

In the present work, we have determined the space group of human tooth-enamel crystals using--for the first time for a biological crystal--convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED). The symmetries observed in the different patterns we have obtained lead us to the P6(3)/m hydroxyapatite space group. Disorder, most likely situated in the columns formed by the hydroxyl ions of the crystals, is suggested as a cause of weak intensity in the otherwise forbidden 000l (l odd) reflections and low visibility of first-order Laue zone (FOLZ) reflections in the CBED pattern from crystals oriented along the [0001] zone axis. A monoclinic phase was not observed.

Adult↗

Convergent beam diffraction studies of interfaces, defects, and multilayers.

This paper explains how the convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) and large angle convergent beam (LACBED) techniques can be used to study crystal defects, bicrystals, and multilayers. It is shown how the LACBED technique in particular can be used to derive the magnitude and sign of the Burgers vectors of dislocations and displacements at stacking faults. For bicrystals and multilayers examined in plan-view, LACBED gives the rocking curve for a chosen reflection. This enables layer strains to be measured to approximately 0.1% and composition profiles derived for both periodic and aperiodic structures. It is shown that a simple kinematic approach can be used to interpret the essential results in most cases.

Chemical Phenomena↗