EBSD and HRTEM observations on the twins in Hg₃In₂Te₆ crystals with defect zinc-blende structure

Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) are used to study the twins in Hg₃In₂Te₆ (MIT) crystals with defect zinc-blende structure. The results show that strain energy of the majority of matrices was smaller than that of their corresponding twins. All twin boundaries of some band-like twins are incoherent. In addition, the existence of high-density structural vacancies do not change the twinning plane and the twinning direction. The above results can be explained by deformation twins with the consideration on the influence of high-density structural vacancy clusters. HRTEM observation shows that steps and twinning dislocations exist at the twin boundaries, which are consistent with deformation twins.