TEM in-situ observation of recombination-enhanced mobility of dislocations in II–VI compounds

The effect of electron-beam irradiation on the motion of dislocations in II–VI compounds has been studied by TEM in-situ experiments. Straining experiments on ZnS samples demonstrate that the dislocation mobility is proportional to the electron-beam intensity. In CdTe, screw dislocation vibrate under the electron beam and finally acquire a serrated form. These observations are discussed in terms of enhancement of dislocation motion due to non-radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs at the dislocation.