INTER-LEG ANGLES IN TETRAPOD ZNO PARTICLES

Measured sets of angles of legs in 28 tetrapod ZnO particles produced by oxidizing zinc ill air have been analyzed in terms of the octahedra l multiple twin (octa-twin) nucleus model proposed previously (J. Crys tal Growth 134 (1993) 275; Phil. Mag. A 69 (1994) 1125), Nineteen sets of them coincide with the angle relation for the octa-twin nucleus co mpletely relaxed by cracking along twin boundaries; the initial octa-t win nucleus is accompanied by a large elastic strain of 5%. The other sets, except two, can also be well interpreted by the growth process f rom some types of incompletely relaxed nucleus, where legs grow with s ome nucleus twins unrelaxed without forming cracks.