Measurement of deformation at the sub-nanometric level

The desire for understanding mechanical behavior at the nano level can be traced back to the work of Volterra on the theory of dislocations in elasticity in the early years of last century. Today this need is still there especially in the materials field where the development of new semiconductor electronic devices and circuits based on silicon carbide that can function in high-temperature, high-power, and/or high-radiation conditions are being made. During the growth process of these SiC wafers mechanical defects can occur resulting in a defective device. Without the advances made in electron microscopy and experimental methods in fringe analysis the study of these types of defects would not be possible. This paper presents techniques developed to analyze displacements fields via x-ray electron microscopy. Here we come full circle with Volterra’s pioneering work where we determine strain fields in regions where the crystalline structure is distorted.