Non-systematic Three-beam Effects in Dynamical Electron Diffraction and Their Use in Determination of Amplitude and Phase of Structure Factors

Abstract

The treatment of non-systematic multiple-beam effects in dynamical diffraction is extended. Expressions for Bloch wave degeneracies are given in the centrosymmetrical four-beam case and for some symmetrical directions. These degeneracies can be determined experimentally either as critical voltages or by locating the exact diffraction condition at a fixed voltage. The accuracy when applied to structure factor determination is comparable with the systematical critical voltage, namely 1% in UfT The three-beam case 0, g, h is treated as well in the non-centrosymmetrical case, where it can be used for determination of phases. It is shown that the contrast features can be represented .by an effective structure factor defined by the gap at the dispersion surface. From the variation in the gap with diffraction condition, a method to determine the three-phase structure invariant I\J = 9 + _ h + h _ 9 is given. The method is based upon the contrast asymmetry in the weaker diffracted beam and can be applied in Kikuchi, convergent beam or channelling patterns. Calculations relating to channelling in backscattering are also presented.