Abstract: In this study, the authors describe a computer-controlled scanning photoluminesoenoe (PL) system which has been designed for mapping PL intensities of semiconductor wafers or epitaxial layers up to 3 inches in diameter. Sample materials included Si, GaAs and so on. It can be used for investigation to detect defects and shallow impurities, and to show their distributions in semiconductor materials. PL is paiticularly sensitive for identifying impurities and mapping wafers to determine the distribution of defect densities over the surface of a wafer. Information from spectra and wafer maps is presented and discussed. The present scanning PL technique can be used as a simple, nondestructive, but sensitive tool in evaluating the uniformity of the near-surface layer of semioonduotor substrates and, therefore, is ideally suited for device characterization.

Key words: photoluminesoenoe, oharaoterization, impurities, defects