Atomic Resolution Studies of Tilt Grain Boundaries in NiO

1985 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Merkle ◽  
J. F. Reddy ◽  
C. L. Wiley ◽  
David J. Smith ◽  
G. J. Wood

AbstractThe atomic structures of a number of <001> high-angle tilt grain boundaries in NiO have been studied by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Crystal 1inity is always maintained right up to the grain boundary (GB). Grain boundary planes bounded by a (100)-plane are preferred, however symmetrical facets are also found at each misorientation. A tendency to match atomic planes across the GB is not only observed in symmetrical, but also in asymmetrical GBs. Structural units can be clearly recognized in symmetrical GBs. Contrast differences suggest that a multiplicity of structural units exists for some GB configurations. Frequently symmetric GBs also show deviations from mirror symmetry. Multislice simultations indicate that the image contrast associated with HREM GB images is not particularly sensitive to GB relaxation.

Author(s):  
Jean-Luc Rouvière ◽  
Alain Bourret

The possible structural transformations during the sample preparations and the sample observations are important issues in electron microscopy. Several publications of High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM) have reported that structural transformations and evaporation of the thin parts of a specimen could happen in the microscope. Diffusion and preferential etchings could also occur during the sample preparation.Here we report a structural transformation of a germanium Σ=13 (510) [001] tilt grain boundary that occurred in a medium-voltage electron microscopy (JEOL 400KV).Among the different (001) tilt grain boundaries whose atomic structures were entirely determined by High Resolution Electron Microscopy (Σ = 5(310), Σ = 13 (320), Σ = 13 (510), Σ = 65 (1130), Σ = 25 (710) and Σ = 41 (910), the Σ = 13 (510) interface is the most interesting. It exhibits two kinds of structures. One of them, the M-structure, has tetracoordinated covalent bonds and is periodic (fig. 1). The other, the U-structure, is also tetracoordinated but is not strictly periodic (fig. 2). It is composed of a periodically repeated constant part that separates variable cores where some atoms can have several stable positions. The M-structure has a mirror glide symmetry. At Scherzer defocus, its HREM images have characteristic groups of three big white dots that are distributed on alternatively facing right and left arcs (fig. 1). The (001) projection of the U-structure has an apparent mirror symmetry, the portions of good coincidence zones (“perfect crystal structure”) regularly separate the variable cores regions (fig. 2).


Author(s):  
Stuart McKernan ◽  
C. Barry Carter

General tilt grain boundaries can be viewed in terms of small structural units of varying complexity. High-resolution electron microscope (HREM) images of these boundaries in many materials show this repetitive similarity of the atomic structure at the boundary plane. The structure of particular grain boundaries has been examined for several special cases and commonly observed configurations include symmetric tilt grain boundaries and asymmetric tilt grain boundaries with one grain having a prominent, low-index facet. Several different configurations of the boundary structure may possibly occur, even in the same grain boundary. There are thus many possible ways to assemble the basic structural units to form a grain boundary. These structural units and their distribution have traditionally been examined by high-resolution electron microscopy. The images of the projection of the atomic columns (or the tunnels between atomic columns) providing a template for constructing “ball-and-stick ” models of the interface.


1991 ◽  
Vol 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsie C. Urdaneta ◽  
David E. Luzzi ◽  
Charles J. McMahon

ABSTRACTBismuth-induced grain boundary faceting in Cu-12 at ppm Bi polycrystals was studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The population of faceted grain boundaries in samples aged at 600°C was observed to increase with heat treatment time from 15min to 24h; aging for 72h resulted in de-faceting, presumably due to loss of Bi from the specimen. The majority of completely faceted boundaries were found between grains with misorientation Σ=3. About 65% of the facets of these boundaries were found to lie parallel to crystal plane pairs of the type {111}1/{111]2- The significance of these findings in light of recent high resolution electron microscopy experiments is discussed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Fonda ◽  
David E. Luzzi

AbstractGrain boundaries in quenched and aged Cu-i.5%Sb were examined with Auger electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution electron microscopy. The ∑=3 grain boundaries are strongly faceted, with the facets lying primarily along the coincident (111) planes of the two grains. The grain boundaries are enriched in antimony, as demonstrated by both AES and HREM. HREM images of the ∑=3 (111) ║ (111) grain boundary differ from those of the Cu-Bi ∑ =3 (111) ║ (111) grain boundary in the lack of a significant grain boundary expansion to accommodate the excess solute at the boundary. A preliminary investigation of the atomic structure of the ∑=3 (111) ║ (111) facet by HREM and multislice calculations is presented.


1990 ◽  
Vol 183 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Pirouz ◽  
J. Yang

AbstractHigh resolution electron microscopy has been used to study the structure of the 3C/6H interface, Σ,=3 {111}and Σ.=3 {112}grain boundaries in 3C-SiC. In SiC, as in other compound semiconductors, anti-site bonds occur in a variety of defects. These are high energy bonds comparable to that of dangling bonds. But, while dangling bonds at the grain boundaries may be eliminated by reconstruction just as in elemental semiconductors, it may not be possible to avoid anti-site bonds.These problems are discussed for the Σ=3 {112} grain boundary, where the structures proposed for Ge and Si are used as starting models for SiC.


Author(s):  
T. Kizuka ◽  
M. Iijima ◽  
N. Tanaka

High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) has been employed intensively to analyze the atomic structures of grain boundaries and interfaces having two dimensional structures inside polycrystalline and composite materials. Furthermore time-resolved HREM (TRHREM) is required to analyze the behavior of grain boundaries and interfaces at atomic scale. The grain boundary migration, which is a typical grain boundary behavior, is a fundamental process relating to structural stability of polycrystalline materials. The mechanism of the migration has been still unknown.In the present study, the variation of atomic arrangement at the grain boundary migration of a MgO [001]Σ5 boundary was analyzed by TRHREM.Magnesium oxide polycrystalline films were prepared by vacuum-deposition on air-cleaved (001) surfaces of sodium chloride at 300°C. TRHREM was carried out at room temperature using a 200-kV electron microscope (JEOL, JEM2010) equipped with a high sensitive TV camera and a video tape recorder. The spatial resolution of the system was 0.2 nm at 200 kV and the time resolution was 1/60 s. Electron beam density was 30 A/cm2.


1984 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl L. Merkle ◽  
J. F. Reddy ◽  
C. L. Wiley

AbstractDefocus-imaging and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) are used to study tilt grain boundaries (GB) in NiO near the <001> axis over the whole range of possible misorientation. Faceting and structural periodicities within facets are observed in high- and low-angle GBs. A reduced atomic density at high-angle GBs is suggested by the defocus behavior.


1989 ◽  
Vol 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Thomas ◽  
R. W. Siegel ◽  
J. A. Eastman

AbstractUsing high resolution electron microscopy, consolidated nanophase palladium samples were examined following electrolytic thinning after a hydriding - dehydriding cycle at 310 K. Due to the small size and random orientations of the individual grains, a large number of grain boundaries were available for examination. Some of these yielded adequate imaging conditions to allow observation of the lattice structure in the grain boundary regions. Image simulations were performed to determine the sensitivity of the technique to lattice disorder. The results of these studies suggest that grain boundary structures in nanophase palladium are similar to those in conventional coarse-grained polycrystals.


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