Optical properties of scratched InP specimens were studied by means of cathodoluminescence (CL). A new luminescence band around 942 nm (S1) was detected in the vicinity of scratches. The S1 band is composed of two peaks at 938 and 946 nm. Monochromatic CL images showed that the S1 luminescence is constrained to regions of high residual strain and not related to dislocations or cracks. The S1 intensity increased in samples with a higher Fe content. S1 vanished after 450 K annealing. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.