Dislocations and stacking faults

The properties of linear defects in crystals (dislocation lines) and of planar defects (stacking faults) are important in almost every branch of solid state physics. This article is intended to give a comprehensive introduction to dislocation theory for the physicist who is not a specialist in crystal plasticity. It begins with a survey of the established theory relating to the geometrical and topological properties of dislocations, the elastic theory of dislocations in a continuum, the atomistic or core properties of dislocations, and the dynamics of moving dislocations. General methods for finding the elastic field of an arbitrary dislocation loop are outlined, and the results of some recent calculations using anisotropic elasticity are summarized. These include the prediction, partially confirmed by experiment, that dislocations in certain ranges of orientation may have negative line tension. The current importance of atomistic calculations of core structure and related problems is emphasized, and the methods available for these calculations are discussed.

More detailed descriptions of dislocation and stacking fault configurations are given for some of the common crystal structures, and recent work on complex defects resulting from vacancy aggregation in close-packed structures is included. The experimental and theoretical evidence for the recent conclusion that screw dislocations in body-centred cubic metals have an asymmetric core is also reviewed.

The rather controversial theory of thermally activated dislocation motion is described in a separate section, and examples are given of the application of this theory to various models of the obstacles encountered by moving dislocations. The final section is concerned with the theory of dislocations in grain boundaries and interphase boundaries, and includes the concept of the surface dislocation tensor.