Electron beam induced dislocation climb in GaAs and InP single crystals

Dislocations have been induced in GaAs and InP single crystals by the electron beam exposure in a scanning electron microscope, with neither a mechanical bending nor a special pretreatment of the specimens. The generation and movement of the dislocations were not dependent upon the electron beam energy, crystal orientation, dopant nature, or doping level, but only on the electron beam current; a beam current of (1-2)×10-6 A was found to be the threshold for the dislocation release. By increasing the beam current up to 5×10-6 A, As or P losses from the specimen surface have been evidenced. In GaAs (001)-oriented crystals, the dislocations were found to be of pure edge type with the Burgers vector normal to the sample surface. A climb process, involving As or P vacancy migration, has been assumed to be the physical mechanism responsible for the dislocation origin.