Uncoated, non-conductive samples can be imaged and analyzed in the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) due to effective charge neutralization at the sample surface by ionized gas molecules. Under some gas pressure and electron dose conditions, ESEM images of uncoated, poorly conductive samples often contain contrast not present in secondary or backscattered electron images of the (coated) samples obtained in conventional SEMs. It has been proposed that the contrast is related to charge trapping at defects and impurities. It has also been suggested that UV cathodoluminescence (CL) may contribute to contrast in the ESEM. In this paper, we present experimental evidence of contrast formation in the ESEM due to charge trapping in Dy doped zircon, electron trapping at oxygen vacancies in sapphire and the absence of signal generation by 360nm UV CL.

The specimens used in this study were (i) cross-sectioned Titanium in-diffusion doped sapphire single crystal, (ii) Dy doped synthetic Zircon7 and (iii) 43 μm epitaxial GaN grown on c-pane sapphire by hydride vapor phase epitaxy.