Dislocation Etching Morphology on the A Plane of Sapphire Crystal

Abstract

In this work, the dislocation etching pit morphology and etching kinetics on the A‐{11 2¯ 0} plane of sapphire crystal (α‐Al2O3) are studied experimentally. The results show that the etch pit exhibits a subrhombic 3D morphology, which is consistent with the atom arrangement symmetry of the A plane. Further analysis shows that the two adjacent sides of the rhombic etch pits correspond to the directions [3 3¯ 0 1¯ ] and [3 3¯ 02], respectively; both of them are in the atomic close‐packing direction of A plane. The etch pits are controlled by a chemical reaction between Al2O3 and potassium hydroxide (KOH) with the reaction activation energy of 51.7 kJ mol−1, which is developed in a manner of kinematic wave by the step moving with a constant speed.