Determination of Structural Inhomogeneity of Synthetic-Diamond Crystals by the Kikuchi-Diffraction Technique

Possibilities of Kikuchi method for investigation of the inhomogeneous deformation distribution in the samples of synthetic diamond crystals grown under various technological conditions are demonstrated. Prospects for usage of geometrical parameters of Kikuchi diffraction patterns for measurements of lattice constant changes are shown. The software realization of the correlation method is used to determine deformations of Kikuchi lines intersections diffraction patterns and to minimize subjective factors. The optimal selection of correlation kernel provides a high accuracy of patterns details shifts. As a result, local changes in structural homogeneity of synthetic diamonds and relative changes of the lattice constant are measured.