Material characterisation using optical spectroscopic techniques

The development of many new technologically important devices is limited by the ability of industry to produce and process materials to required standards. Further progress in many cases is limited by the present understanding of many of the properties of relevant materials. Laser-induced photoluminescence spectroscopy and Raman scattering are two optical techniques which can probe many fundamental characteristics of matter. Recent developments in the instrumentation used to acquire and analyze optical data has increased the versatility of these probes. This article describes a state of the art optical characterisation facility and discusses the application of these spectroscopic techniques to aid an improved understanding of several important semiconducting and insulating materials.