Electron Optical Investigation of Growth-Induced Inhomogeneities of Synthetic Hg2Cl2 Monocrystals

The submicroscopic structure of synthetic Hg₂Cl₂ monocrystals was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indirect imaging of surfaces (Pt/C replica technique) as well as by application of supplementary methods. As already reported by NEUMANN et al., TEM-images show a periodic stripelike contrast whose period varies from 0.1 m̈m to 0.2 m̈m. It proved that the stripelike contrast arises from a periodic chemical inhomogeneity of the synthetic crystals. The chemical inhomogeneity probably consists in periodic deviations from the stoichiometric composition of Hg₂Cl₂. By reason of the orientation on {110}-, (001)-, and {114} faces a reconstruction of arrangement of the structures in the crystals is carried out. According to that, the stripes have to be interpreted as intersection lines of 2-dimensional formations with the corresponding faces.