The limits of strain and lattice parameter measurements by CBED

The topic of strain and lattice parameter measurements using CBED is discussed by reference to several examples. In this paper, only one of these examples is referenced because of the limitation of length. In this technique, scattering in the higher order Laue zones is used to determine local lattice parameters. Work (e.g. 1) has concentrated on a model strained-layer superlattice, namely Si/Gex-Si1-x. In bulk samples, the strain is expected to be tetragonal in nature with the unique axis parallel to [100], the growth direction. When CBED patterns are recorded from the alloy epi-layers, the symmetries exhibited by the patterns are not tetragonal, but are in fact distorted from this to lower symmetries. The spatial variation of the distortion close to a strained-layer interface has been assessed. This is most readily noted by consideration of Fig. 1(a-c), which show enlargements of CBED patterns for various locations and compositions of Ge. Thus, Fig. 1(a) was obtained with the electron beam positioned in the center of a 5Ge epilayer and the distortion is consistent with an orthorhombic distortion. When the beam is situated at about 150 nm from the interface, the same part of the CBED pattern is shown in Fig. 1(b); clearly, the symmetry exhibited by the mirror planes in Fig. 1 is broken. Finally, when the electron beam is positioned in the center of a 10Ge epilayer, the CBED pattern yields the result shown in Fig. 1(c). In this case, the break in the mirror symmetry is independent of distance form the heterointerface, as might be expected from the increase in the mismatch between 5 and 10%Ge, i.e. 0.2 to 0.4%, respectively. From computer simulation, Fig.2, the apparent monocline distortion corresponding to the 5Ge epilayer is quantified as a100 = 0.5443 nm, a010 = 0.5429 nm and a001 = 0.5440 nm (all ± 0.0001 nm), and α = β = 90°, γ = 89.96 ± 0.02°. These local symmetry changes are most likely due to surface relaxation phenomena.