Low-dose 7.5 MeV B and 10 MeV P and As profiles and defects in Si(100) with “random” (7/23 tilt/twist angles) and highly channeled (0/0) beam-crystal orientations were studied with SIMS and the MC-code, IMSIL, and a variety of carrier recombination sensitive defect metrologies. As-implanted and annealed (950 °C/3 min/N2) samples were characterized by Photoluminescence (PL) imaging and spectral power levels. Systematic effects of defect-related PL data are related to beam incidence along highly channeled and “random” beam-crystal orientations. Curious “intermittencies” in the PL signals from individual recombination centers are also discussed.Graphical abstract: PL images, showing defect-assisted recombination light for wavelengths >1300 nm, for random and channeled 7.5 MeV B implants at a dose of 3 × 1012 B/cm2 (right) and annealing at 950 °C for 3 min. Note the dense radiative recombination centers in the random PL data for 7.5 MeV B compared to the relatively sparse radiative recombination centers (in circles) for the highly channeled orientation implant. The image field of view is 175 × 140 μm.