Liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) semi-insulating (SI) GaAs has applications in integrated optics and integrated circuits. Yield and device performance is dependent on the homogeniety of the wafers. Therefore, it is important to characterise the uniformity of the GaAs substrates. In this respect, cathodoluminescence (CL) has been used to detect the presence of crystal defects and growth striations. However, when SI GaAs is examined in a scanning electron microscope (SEM), there will be a tendency for the surface to charge up. The surface charging affects the backscattered and secondary electron (SE) yield. Local variations in the surface charge will give rise to contrast (effectively voltage contrast) in the SE image. This may be associated with non-uniformities in the spatial distribution of resistivity. Wakefield et al have made use of “charging microscopy” to reveal resistivity variations across a SI GaAs wafer. In this work we report on CL imaging, the conditions used to obtain “charged” SE images and some aspects of the contrast behaviour.
