Dislocation Etch Pits on the Basal Plane of Zinc Crystals

Abstract
An etch pit technique has been developed that reveals the sites of dislocations which intersect the basal plane surface of zinc crystals. Pits can be formed by either Cl2, HCl, Br2, HBr, or HI dissolved in an appropriate organic solvent. Etchants made with Cl2 or HCl produce hexagonal pyramidal pits whose edges are parallel to 〈101̄0〉 directions; but Br2, BHr, or HI etchants produce hexagonal pits whose edges are parallel to 〈112̄0〉 directions. The technique is useful for observing glide which occurs on nonbasal planes. The dislocation etch pits are seen to form a ``polygonization'' pattern in a crystal that was annealed after deformation. A discussion is presented on the mechanism of etch pit formation and the factors which might determine the shape of the pits.

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