The development of aberration-corrected electron microscopes (ACEMs) has made it possible to resolve individual atomic columns ('dumbbells') with correct interatomic spacings in elemental and compound semiconductors. Thus, the latest generations of ACEMs should become powerful instruments for determining detailed structural arrangements at defects and interfaces in these materials. This paper provides a short overview of off-line ('software') and on-line ('hardware') ACEM techniques, with particular reference to characterization of elemental and compound semiconductors. Exploratory probe-corrected studies of ZnTe/InP and ZnTe/GaAs epitaxial heterostructures and interfacial defects are also described. Finally, some of the associated problems and future prospects are briefly discussed.
Keywords: aberration-corrected electron microscopy; compound semiconductor; dumbbell imaging; polarity reversal.