Cathodoluminescence Hyperspectral Imaging of Nitride Semiconductors: Introducing New Variables

Cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral imaging—the acquisition of a full optical emission spectrum at each pixel of an image—has become firmly established as a measurement mode in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) [1]. CL is sensitive to the structural, compositional and electrical properties of a sample, and the inherent multimode nature of SEM makes it possible to combine CL with other techniques which are also sensitive to one or more of these properties. For example, combining CL hyperspectral imaging with simultaneous X-ray microanalysis has been used to probe composition variations within semiconductors [2] and minerals [3]. In this work we present recent results combining CL hyperspectral imaging with other SEM modes, and also demonstrate the benefits of introducing additional measurement parameters, such as sample applied bias and microscope chamber pressure.