Planar Defects in Small Particles

Abstract

Transmission electron microscope techniques have been extensively used in the determination of the morphology of fine metallic particles. These techniques have been of particular importance in obtaining topographical information during particle growth and sintering. Thus, for example, it has been found that some of the most elementary forms consist of half cubo-octahedral units with (111) faces and (100) basis. Furthermore, full cubo-octahedral units have also been found, some of them showing stacking faults (SF) through the particles.It is important to point out that the characterization of this type of planar defects in small metallic particles has commonly been based on geometrical con. siderations. Additionally, the imaging conditions which have been used are the so-called weak beam (WB) diffraction conditions. Recent investigations have shown, on the other hand, that SF images under WB conditions present serious inconveniences, for example, contrast asymmetries in SF images which are not totally explained. Another difficulty with these WB fault images arises from twin boundaries which display image contrast similar to SF when a common reflection is strongly excited.