Structure and Chemistry of Basal‐Plane Inversion Boundaries in Antimony Oxide‐Doped Zinc Oxide

Abstract

The atomic structure and the chemistry of basal ‐ plane inversion boundaries in Sb 2 O 3 ‐doped ZnO were investigated using quantitative transmission electron microscopy techniques. Electron microdiffraction and high ‐ resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the orientation of the polar c ‐axis on both sides of the inversion boundary and the translation state between the inverted ZnO domains. Quantitative energy ‐ dispersive X ‐ ray spectroscopy combined with high ‐ resolution transmission electron microscopy allowed us to determine the exact amount and the arrangement of antimony in the boundary layer. Inversion boundaries are head ‐ to ‐ head oriented with a displacement vector of the oxygen sublattice of R IB =⅓[01[Onemacr]0] – 0.102[0001]. The boundary plane consists of a highly ordered SbZn 2 monolayer in which the cations occupy the octahedral interstices of the structure. In the octahedral boundary layer, zinc and antimony atoms constitute a honeycomb superstructure with a threefold (3 m ) in ‐ plane symmetry.