Spiers Memorial Lecture: Emerging semiconductors viewed through the lens of a scanning electron microscope

As new materials are developed, or as their applications develop, it is important to have a range of characterisation techniques to understand their properties with a view to improving their performance. This paper considers a suite of characterisation techniques based on scanning electron microscopy to study emerging semiconductors or semiconductors with emerging applications, with an emphasis on combining multiple different techniques ideally measured simultaneously. Cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral imaging is used to assess the optical properties and wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) provides compositional information, with an electron probe microanalyser facilitating their combined use. Electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) furnish structural information, and electron beam induced current (EBIC) gives electrical information. The techniques are introduced using examples from the III-nitride semiconductors, followed by examples of scanning electron beam investigations of perovskite solar absorber layers, UV-emitting aluminium gallium nitride structures and 2D materials.