Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Previous investigations into the nature of polytypoid structures in the A1N-A12O3 and A1NSiO2 systems have concluded that these structures are comprised of ordered stacking faults which accommodate oxygen (and silicon) in the basic wurtzite (2H) AIN structure. The polytypoids are distinct chemical phases intimately related to the pure 2H AIN. More recent work in low oxygen content (<6 at.%) A1N has elucidated the evolution of oxygen-related point defects, and transformation of these defects into extended structures. These studies have shown that all oxygenrelated extended defects in the A1N-A12O3 system are inversion domain boundaries (IDBs).
We present here extensions of the concepts developed from low oxygen content studies which lead to direct application in understanding the polytypoid structures. High resolution electron microscopy (HREM), specific electron diffraction experiments, and structural models are utilized to prove that the polytypoid structures are not based on stacking faults, but, in fact are based on IDBs.