Study of Semiconductor Multilayer Structures by Cathodoluminescence and Electron Probe Microanalysis

Abstract

Complementary nondestructive electron probe methods were used for characterization of semiconductor multilayer structures. We used cathodoluminescence and electron probe microanalysis for studying laser heterostructures based on GaAs/AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs and InGaN/GaN. Our latest investigation showed the possibility of measuring the composition of buried layers and determining the composition of thin nanoscale layers by electron probe microanalysis. Simultaneous use of local cathodoluminescence is very useful for defect study in bulk semiconductors, epilayers, and multilayer heterostructures. This method allows characterization of charge-carrier transport properties and diffusion length in multilayer structures, using the variation of the electron beam energy and calculation of the electron penetration depth.

Unstable Luminescence of Nitrides under Electron-Beam Irradiation

“…That allows concluding that the effective diffusion length of the charge carriers in sample A is much higher than in sample B. 13) The effective diffusion lengths of charge carriers in the active layer were estimated as 10 and 50 nm for structures A and B, correspondingly. The most possible reason in such difference of diffusion lengths is connected with higher quality of interfaces in the structure A and smaller concentration of the nonradiative recombination centers.…”