The Use of Confocal Photoluminescence Microscopy for Determination of Defect Densities in Various 2-6 Semiconductors

We are investigating the use of confocal photoluminescence c-PL mapping to measure non-radiative defects in principle equivalent to EPD in semiconducting materials. These results have been shown to correlate with similar measurements using cathodoluminescence CL. The primary impetus is to develop an optical technique that can beused in a more production-friendly environment without degrading sample surfaces while producing accurate dislocate densities. The technique of c-PL is a point mapping PL measurement where the microscope is operated in an optical configuration that significantly enhances both lateral and depth resolution and returns crisp PL images with high contrast. This technique revolutionized fluorescent imaging in biology, and has the potential to become an important semiconductor characterization tool.