Application of SEM-CL system in the characterization of material microstructures

Abstract

Cathodoluminescence (CL) characterization technology refers to a technical approach for evaluating the luminescent properties of samples by collecting photon signals generated under electron beam excitation. By detecting the intensity and wavelength of the emitted light, the energy band structure and forbidden bandwidth of a sample can be identified. After a CL spectrometer is mounted on a scanning electron microscope (SEM), functions are integrated, such as high spatial resolution, morphological observation, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to analyze samples, offering unique and irreplaceable advantages for the microstructural analysis of certain materials. This paper reviews the applications of SEM-CL systems in the characterization of material microstructures in recent years, illustrating the utility of the SEM-CL system in various materials including geological minerals, perovskite materials, semiconductor materials, non-metallic inclusions, and functional ceramics through typical case studies.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

scanning electron microscope / cathodoluminescence / geological mineral / perovskite material / semiconductor material / non-metallic inclusion / functional ceramic

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Declaration of competing interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for financial supports by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. TGC24E020003).

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