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

Over the past three decades, atomic-scale microscopy techniques (atom-probe tomography, scanning tunneling microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy) have played a significant role in the understanding of order- and disorder-related phenomena in compound semiconductors. The possibility of imaging and quantifying disorder in the direct space within a small and selected field of view, with atomic-scale spatial resolution, and the possibility of retrieving information on composition opened new perspectives and led to a new level of understanding in semiconductor physics. On the basis of results from the domain of III-V semiconductors, this review sketches a synoptic picture of the application of microscopy to the study of order and disorder and aims to establish a clear reference of methods for research facing order- and disorder-related issues in new semiconductor materials.