Analysis of strain and stacking faults in single nanowires using Bragg coherent diffraction imaging

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the use of Bragg coherent diffraction imaging to analyze 3D strain, composition, and faults in single nanowires smaller than 100 nm, revealing deformation and stacking fault effects.

Contribution

It introduces a CDI method for detailed 3D analysis of strain and faults in nanowires, including the impact of stacking faults on reconstruction accuracy.

Findings

Successful retrieval of deformation and faults in nanowires

Stacking faults can cause artefacts in shape and strain reconstructions

Applicable to both homogeneous and heterogeneous nanowires

Abstract

Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) on Bragg reflections is a promising technique for the study of three-dimensional (3D) composition and strain fields in nanostructures, which can be recovered directly from the coherent diffraction data recorded on single objects. In this article we report results obtained for single homogeneous and heterogeneous nanowires with a diameter smaller than 100 nm, for which we used CDI to retrieve information about deformation and faults existing in these wires. The article also discusses the influence of stacking faults, which can create artefacts during the reconstruction of the nanowire shape and deformation.