Indentation induced amorphization in gallium arsenide

Vickers indentations were carried out on the surface of GaAs single crystal with the load of 0.049 N and were observed using high-resolution electron microscopy in the present experiment. The experimental results reveal that many defects such as dislocation, microtwin and stacking-fault occurred and amorphization took place beneath the indentation. High-pressure induced amorphization and shear deformation induced amorphization were proposed for the transformation from crystalline to amorphous structure.