Crystallographic shear disordered

Non-stoichiometric oxides with high levels of disorder may adopt two modes of stabilization aggregation or elimination of point defects. Point defect aggregates forming clusters are examples of the former and extended defect structures like crystallographic shear-plane structures are examples of the latter. 

This is a structure-building component in which two constituent parts of the structure are twin-related across the interface. The twin plane changes the composition of the host crystal by a definite amount (which may be zero). Ordered, closely spaced arrays of twin planes will lead to homologous series of phases. Disordered twin planes will lead to non-stoichiometric phases in which the twin planes serve as the defects. There is a close parallel between chemical twinning and crystallographic shear (see Section IR-11.6.3). 

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