The structure of planar defects in ZnO films on (01▪2) r-plane sapphire was studied by using a combination of high-resolution electron microscopy and computer simulation. The dominant defects present in these films were identified as being a type-I1 intrinsic-stacking fault with a displacement vector of (a/6)[20▪3] and a density of about 6 x 104/cm; lying on the (00▪1) basal plane. The formation of these stacking faults was found to be growth-related; corresponding to the face-centered-cubic stacking sequence in wurtzite ZnO.

Structural Defects in an Epitaxial ZnO/(01▪2) r-Plane Sapphire Studied by High-Resolution Electron Microscopy and Computer Simulation. Lim, S.H.: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A, 2006, 24[2], 264-8