Dislocation Studies in Bi2Te3 by Etch-Pit Technique

Abstract

Dislocation studies in Bi2Te3 were made by etch-pit technique. All work was done on c planes. The etch marks the dislocations in the c plane by producing etch grooves, and marks the sites of emergence of dislocations from the surface with pyramidal etch pits. Evidence was found for the presence of networks of dislocations lying predominantly in the c plane. Experimental evidence was also found for bending of the dislocations within the crystal being responsible for different size pyramidal etch pits, and flat bottom pits observed on the etched surfaces. The same mechanism was found to be responsible for bringing out new etch pits on longer etching. The slip traces on the c plane were found by controlled surface-damage studies to be parallel to the binary axes.