title: Structural defects in cubic semiconductors characterized by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy.
abstract: The development of new electro-optical devices and the realization of novel types of transistors require a profound understanding of the structural characteristics of new semiconductor heterostructures. This article provides a concise review about structural defects which occur in semiconductor heterostructures on the basis of micro-patterned Si substrates. In particular, one- and two-dimensional crystal defects are being discussed which are due to the plastic relaxation of epitaxial strain caused by the misfit of crystal lattices. Besides a few selected examples from literature, we treat in particular crystal defects occurring in GaAs/Si, Ge/Si and β-SiC/Si structures which are studied by high-resolution annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The relevance of this article is twofold; firstly, it should provide a collection of data which are of help for the identification and characterization of defects in cubic semiconductors by means of atomic-resolution imaging, and secondly, the experimental data shall provide a basis for advancing the understanding of device characteristics with the aid of theoretical modelling by considering the defective nature of strained semiconductor heterostructures.
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Center, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yadira
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arroyo Rojas Dasilva
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Center, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Roksolana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Center, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erni
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Center, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: marta.rossell@empa.ch.
authors.forename: Marta D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rossell
keywords: Cubic semiconductors; Dislocations; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Structural defects; Twinning; Zincblende structure