Open AccessStructural and luminescence imaging and characterisation of semiconductors in the scanning electron microscope
Author(s) -
C. Trager-Cowan,
Aeshah Alasmari,
W. Avis,
Jochen Bruckbauer,
P. R. Edwards,
Gergely Ferenczi,
B. Hourahine,
Albes Kotzai,
S. Kraeusel,
Gunnar Kusch,
Robert Martin,
R. McDermott,
G. Naresh-Kumar,
M. Nouf-Allehiani,
Elena Pascal,
David Thomson,
S. Vespucci,
Matthew D. Smith,
P. J. Parbrook,
Johannes Enslin,
Frank Mehnke,
Christian Kühn,
Tim Wernicke,
Michael Kneissl,
Sylvia Hagedorn,
A. Knauer,
Sebastian Walde,
Markus Weyers,
Pierre-Marie Coulon,
P. A. Shields,
J. Bai,
Y. Gong,
L. Jiu,
Y Zhang,
R. M. Smith,
T Wang,
Aimo Winkelmann
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
semiconductor science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.712
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1361-6641
pISSN - 0268-1242
DOI - 10.1088/1361-6641/ab75a5
Subject(s) - cathodoluminescence , electron backscatter diffraction , materials science , channelling , luminescence , scanning electron microscope , semiconductor , crystal (programming language) , reciprocal lattice , crystallographic defect , optics , optoelectronics , diffraction , crystallography , microstructure , chemistry , physics , composite material , ion , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
The scanning electron microscopy techniques of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI) and cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral imaging provide complementary information on the structural and luminescence properties of materials rapidly and non-destructively, with a spatial resolution of tens of nanometres. EBSD provides crystal orientation, crystal phase and strain analysis, whilst ECCI is used to determine the planar distribution of extended defects over a large area of a given sample. CL reveals the influence of crystal structure, composition and strain on intrinsic luminescence and/or reveals defect-related luminescence. Dark features are also observed in CL images where carrier recombination at defects is non-radiative. The combination of these techniques is a powerful approach to clarifying the role of crystallography and extended defects on a material’s light emission properties. Here we describe the EBSD, ECCI and CL techniques and illustrate their use for investigating the structural and light emitting properties of UV-emitting nitride semiconductor structures. We discuss our investigations of the type, density and distribution of defects in GaN, AlN and AlGaN thin films and also discuss the determination of the polarity of GaN nanowires.