Bright-field imaging of lattice distortions using x rays

Abstract

Can x rays yield bright-field images of crystalline systems similar to those of transmission electron microscopy? So far, the response was negative, but the authors present here a positive case: bright-field x-ray images carrying information both from diffraction/scattering phenomena and from absorption and phase contrast. Specifically, synchrotron x-ray transmission micrographs simultaneously yielded diffraction-based information on strain effects and information on structural inhomogeneities when (0001) 4H-SiC wafers were set for a strong reflection in the Laue geometry. This approach offers interesting advantages with respect to the separate study of strain and inhomogeneity effects for a variety of crystalline systems. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.