Order and disorder at the atomic scale: Microscopy applied to semiconductors

Atomic-scale details, especially those of disorder, are important for material properties, especially in semiconductors, but they are also extremely difficult to measure. Real-space methods can give direct access to this information, but typically, that access is limited. This review reports the application of three real-space techniques for measuring disorder to compound semiconductor materials: scanning tunneling microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atom-probe microscopy. Where possible, it emphasizes cases in which the probes have been combined to achieve a more complete picture of the defects.