White beam X-ray diffraction imaging (topography) with an optimised CCD-detector system was used to monitor in-situ and in real time the nucleation, growth and movement of dislocations in silicon at high temperatures. It could be shown, that damage like microcracks and the surrounding strain fields in a wafer acted as sources for dislocation loops, which end in slip bands far away from the source. The dislocations were arranged in channels of parallel {111} glide planes, which became visible as bands of parallel surface steps when the dislocations slip out on the back or front sides of the wafer. The width of such a channel or band depended on the dimensions of the damaged volume where the dislocations nucleate. This could be explained with a simple geometrical model.

Dislocation Dynamics and Slip Band Formation in Silicon: In-situ Study by X-Ray Diffraction Imaging. A.N.Danilewsky, J.Wittge, A.Croell, D.Allen, P.McNally, P.Vagovič, T.dos Santos Rolo, Z.Li, T.Baumbach, E.Gorostegui-Colinas, J.Garagorri, M.R.Elizalde, M.C.Fossati, D.K.Bowen, B.K.Tanner: Journal of Crystal Growth, 2011, 318[1], 1157-63