The scanning infrared microscope (SIRM) and its application to bulk GaAs and Si: a review

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Abstract
The development of the scanning infrared microscope (SIRM) at Oxford during the last few years and its application to the examination of inhomogeneities in a variety of bulk semiconductor specimens are described. The present SIRM uses a 1.3 mu m wavelength semiconductor laser and operates in bright field in either the standard, confocal or polarized light modes and in dark-field in the standard mode. It can reveal individual precipitate particles and dislocations and also point defect concentrations and local strain fields. It has a spatial resolution of 1-2 mu m, a depth of field of 7-50 mu m and can image particles down to 30 nm in size. Three-dimensional distributions of inhomogeneities can be determined. The method is non-destructive and non-contacting. Examples of its application to bulk In-doped GaAs, undoped GaAs and Si, both as-grown and post-annealed, are given. Quantitative data obtained include precipitate particle number density, particle denuded zone depth, dislocation geometry, dislocation particle decoration and dislocation Burgers vector.