Phase transitions, crystal growth

Transmission electron microscopy of crystallization process of amorphous iron oxide films

A. M. Murzakaev

Institute of Electrophysics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg

Abstract: Crystal growth in amorphous thin iron oxide films is accompanied by the formation of transrotational crystals. The aim of this work is to identify the growth mechanism of transrotational crystals. Crystal growth and the structure of crystallized regions in amorphous thin Fe$_2$O$_3$ films were studied in situ using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Structural changes were revealed by electron diffraction methods (selected area electron diffraction – SAED). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies revealed oxygen vacancies in Fe$_2$O$_3$ samples. They are arranged by forming crystallographic shear planes (CS). Processing and analysis of HRTEM images revealed a large number of dislocations and disclinations. All types of crystal lattice defects revealed by HRTEM, and especially dislocations with disclinations, can contribute to the formation (emergence) of a transrotational crystal lattice.

Keywords: amorphous films, transrotational crystal, HRTEM, crystallographic shear, stacking faults, dislocation, disclination.

Received: 23.04.2025
Revised: 20.05.2025
Accepted: 27.05.2025

DOI: 10.61011/FTT.2025.05.60753.91-25

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