Description:
<jats:p>ZnO is a wide gap semiconductor with interesting properties for applications in nanoelectronics as well as nanophotonics and can be used for ultraviolet nanolasers. The optical and electrical properties of ZnO are strongly influenced by residual stresses, defects, as well as microstructural changes. This work presents a detailed study of the residual stresses and the microstructure in three dimensional (3D) around a Vickers microindent placed on the prism plane of a ZnO single crystal. The biaxial stress field on the surface of the indent was measured using a confocal Raman microscope. The deformed microstructure around the indent was examined by 3D Raman and cathodoluminescence measurements. Further, a cross section extracted from the center of the indent was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the symmetry of the residual stress field on the surface depends not on the geometry of the indent but on the deformation mechanism of the crystal. The 3D Raman measurements allow calculating the volume of high-dislocation density in the vicinity of the indent.</jats:p>