摘要： Dominant recombination paths in AlN and AlxGa1?xN-related structures are investigated using cathodoluminescence (CL) mapping measurements and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The dark spot contrasts originating from nonradiative recombination at threading dislocations (TDs), which are observed in CL intensity maps, drastically decrease upon elevating the temperature. This is because carriers can reach TDs at low temperatures (9–60 K), but are captured by point defects (PDs) even in the vicinity of TDs near RT. Calculations based on the experimental results indicate that in the current AlN and Al-rich AlxGa1?xN crystals, TDs scarcely affect the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) at RT as long as the TD density is less than 2.6 × 1010 cm?2. Because a TD density less than 2.6 × 1010 cm?2 has already been achieved even for heteroepitaxially grown AlN films on sapphire substrates, it is evident that the most effective method to further improve the IQE of AlxGa1?xN-related materials is to reduce PDs not TDs. Moreover, we clarify the existence of two types of PD states, which mainly degrade the emission efficiency, using temperature-dependent PL measurements. Combining the CL and PL results allows the activation energies of these PDs and TDs to be evaluated. Furthermore, we highlight the probability that PDs, which predominantly act as nonradiative recombination centers at room temperature, are complexes formed by Al vacancies and oxygen impurities that enhance the deep-level emissions at 3.2 and 3.5–3.7 eV near room temperature. Such a large impact of PDs on the efficiency degradation may be attributed to the high density of Al-vacancy–related PDs in AlN and Al-rich AlxGa1?xN compared with that of Ga-vacancy–related PDs in GaN due to the small formation energy.