Editing Dislocation (section)

=== Other methods ===
[[Image:Silicon dislocation orientation 111 mag 500x.png|right|thumb|Etch Pits formed on the ends of dislocations in silicon, orientation (111)]]

[[Field ion microscopy]] and [[atom probe]] techniques offer methods of producing much higher magnifications (typically 3 million times and above) and permit the observation of dislocations at an atomic level. Where surface relief can be resolved to the level of an atomic step, screw dislocations appear as distinctive spiral features – thus revealing an important mechanism of crystal growth: where there is a surface step, atoms can more easily add to the crystal, and the surface step associated with a screw dislocation is never destroyed no matter how many atoms are added to it.

==== Chemical etching ====
When a dislocation line intersects the surface of a metallic material, the associated strain field locally increases the relative susceptibility of the material to acid [[industrial etching|etching]] and an [[etch pit density|etch pit]] of regular geometrical format results. In this way, dislocations in silicon, for example, can be observed ''indirectly'' using an interference microscope. Crystal orientation can be determined by the shape of the etch pits associated with the dislocations.

If the material is deformed and repeatedly re-etched, a series of etch pits can be produced which effectively trace the movement of the dislocation in question.