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Study of the Nature and Distribution of Elementary Steps on the (100) Cleavage Faces of MgO Single Crystals by Atomic Force Microscopy
Author(s) -
Sangwal K.,
Gorostiza P.,
Sanz F.,
Borc J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
crystal research and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.377
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1521-4079
pISSN - 0232-1300
DOI - 10.1002/1521-4079(200008)35:8<959::aid-crat959>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - monolayer , burgers vector , cleavage (geology) , crystallography , enhanced data rates for gsm evolution , partial dislocations , dislocation , condensed matter physics , crystallographic defect , atomic force microscopy , materials science , chemical physics , geometry , chemistry , physics , nanotechnology , mathematics , composite material , fracture (geology) , telecommunications , computer science
Some observations made on the nature and distribution of monolayer (elementary) steps on the (100) cleavage faces of MgO single crystals by atomic force microscopy are presented and discussed. The following types of patterns of monolayer steps are described: (1) trains of steps, (2) steps terminating on the cleaved surface at the emergence points of screw dislocations, and (3) localized pinning of advancing steps at random sites (probably at the emergence points of edge dislocations). It is shown that: (1) the origins of emergence points of monolayer steps are devoid of hollow cores due to a small Burgers vector of dislocations and (2) the minimum distance between two emerging steps due to screw dislocations and between two pinning centres due to edge dislocations depends on their sign, and is determined by the mutual interaction between neighbouring dislocations.