Climb trails at dislocations in gadolinium gallium garnet (Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂)

Abstract

Optical micrographs of the surface of etched (111) wafers of Gd3Ga5O12 (or GGG) have revealed fine lines that emerge from dislocation etch pits. Features of the lines at long dislocations with large edge components, at dislocation loops and spirals, and at helical dislocations, indicate that the lines are formed because the material deposited at the dislocations during climb etches less rapidly than the surrounding GGG. This result is consistent with the suggestion that the climb of dislocations in GGG is promoted by a departure from the ideal chemical composition. Copyright © 1975 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA