X-ray diffraction moiré topography as a means to reconstruct relative displacement fields in weakly deformed bicrystals.

X-ray diffraction topographs of wafers produced by separation by implanted oxygen (SIMOX) show moiré fringes in both reflection and transmission geometry. These fringes reveal deformations of the order of 10(-6) to 10(-8) between the layer and the substrate of the SIMOX material. A new method for a quantitative analysis of moiré fringes is developed and allows reconstruction with a high sensitivity of the three components of the relative displacement field between layer and substrate directly from a set of topographs. This method is used for the interpretation of moiré topographs of entire 4 in SIMOX wafers and of regions around crystal defects. Finally, the capabilities of an analysis of moiré fringes are compared with those of the usual diffraction topo-graphy.