Revealing all types of threading dislocations in GaN with improved contrast in a single plan view image

In this letter, we demonstrate a transmission electron microscope based technique which reveals all types of threading dislocations (TDs) in GaN with high contrast over a relatively large area, even if the specimen is bent. This method uses a bright-field image with the crystal oriented at the ⟨1–21–3⟩ zone axis, taken using multi-beam diffraction conditions. Such an image reveals all screw, edge, and mixed types of threading dislocations. The multi-beam imaging technique described here for GaN is more generally applicable to counting the total dislocation density in a wide range of materials and structures.