Dislocation microstructures which were introduced by plastic deformation at room temperature were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy. Plastic deformation was imposed by a confining pressure of 5GPa in an anisotropic multi-anvil apparatus, or by surface scratching. The transmission electron microscopic observations revealed common features, in the 2 deformation sub-structures, which were characteristic of high-stress low-temperature deformation. The deformation microstructures comprised undissociated dislocations, having a/2<110> Burgers vectors in (111) planes. Such dislocations were aligned mainly along the screw orientation and <112> orientations at 30° from the Burgers vectors, as well as along <132> orientations at 41° from the Burgers vector. The occurrence of these Peierls valleys confirmed that dislocation core configurations which were different to those usually involved at higher temperatures had to be taken into account when dislocations were nucleated at very high stresses.

Dislocation Microstructures in Si Plastically Deformed at RT. J.Rabier, P.Cordier, T.Tondellier, J.L.Demenet, H.Garem: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 2000, 12[49], 10059-64