ABSTRACT
Kinematical scanning electron microscopy (SEM) cathodoluminescence (CL) based on computer-aided acquisition and processing of image data has been employed to reveal glide dislocations as extended mobile recombination centres in several IIIN and IINI semiconductors having zincblende and wurtzite lattice structure, respectively. Local plastic deformation by in-situ scratching or indentation at low-index sample surfaces could be exploited to generate and propagate individual single dislocations of various types. In spite of detailed theoretical and extensive experimental work, intrinsic recombination activity of dislocations in crystalline semiconductors is an open issue and physical understanding is far from complete. Kinematical SEM CL, referred to as "Dyn CL" in the following, has been developed as a special tool to reveal dislocations as extended mobile recombination centres in semiconducting crystals. Dyn CL studies comprise observation of dislocation dynamics on microscopic scale as well as an analysis of CL contrast behaviour at both moving and resting dislocations.
