CdSe quantum dots, electrodeposited epitaxially on {111} gold substrat
es, were studied by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (
HREM). Images corresponding to wurtzite {10.0}CdSe and {11.0}CdSe as w
ell as {220}Au and 1/3{422}Au, directly confirmed the epitaxial relati
onships previously shown by electron diffraction, namely {111}Au paral
lel-to {00.1}CdSe and [110]Au parallel-to [11.0]CdSe. Further analysis
of the HREM images by optical diffraction (selected-area nanodiffract
ion) provided structural information on the orientation of single nano
crystals with respect to the substrate and allowed detection of slight
misalignments of individual quantum dots.