Etch-pit studies of dislocations in indium antimonide

Abstract

Indium antimonide specimens were plastically bent to introduce an excess of dislocations having either In-atoms at the edge of their extra half-planes or having Sb-atoms there. The lower yield stress for bending at 270°C was dependent on the direction of bend, being greater when specimens were bent to produce excess Sb-dislocations. Bent specimens were annealed and the etch-pit densities in them compared with theoretical prediction. It was found that a modified CP4 etch containing butylamine gives a reliable estimate of the total dislocation density (i.e. shows up both In- and Sb-dislocations), whilst the modified CP4 etch without butylamine reveals all the In-dislocations and about half the Sb ones.