Nanoscale characterisation of semiconductors by cathodoluminescence

Cathodoluminescence measurements carried out either in a scanning secondary or a transmission electron microscope allow a direct correlation of structural features with the emission spectra. Applied to semiconductors, numerous material and electronic properties can be determined on a length scale down to 10 nm in favourable cases. In this tutorial, we discuss the nature of the most important light emission processes in semiconductors, and what kind of information can principally be derived. Several examples for the application of this method in studies on bulk and nanocrystalline semiconductor materials are discussed