The use of scanning tunnelling microscopy was reviewed with regard to the study of local atomic configurations, interface roughness and defect migration. Local spectroscopy also permitted the determination of the local density of states which was associated with the defect and its charge state. Illustrative examples included the roughness of GaSb/InAs and InP/GaInAs interfaces and InAs quantum boxes buried in GaAs, the diffusion of vacancies in Si, Si as dopant in GaAs, the charge state of the As vacancy in GaAs and the AsGa antisite in GaAs. One basic problem concerned how tunnelling occurred through defects. It was pointed out that there was a necessary coupling between the energy level which was associated with the defect, and the conduction or valence bands. This coupling was analyzed in terms of the emission and capture rates which were used to characterize the defects.

Microscopic Characterization of Defects using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy D.Stiévenard: Materials Science and Engineering B, 2000, 71[1-3], 120-7