Transmission electron microscopic in situ deformation experiments were carried out in order to study the effect of electron irradiation upon dislocation mobility in this II-VI compound semiconductor at temperatures ranging from 290 to 450K. It was found that dislocation glide was strongly enhanced under electronic excitation conditions but was still controlled by the Peierls mechanism. The lattice friction was lowered by excitation. The cause of the observed reduction in activation energy was explained with regard to the predictions of a recent theoretical model.

A.Faress, C.Levade, G.Vanderschaeve: Physica Status Solidi A, 1993, 138[2], 583-9