Ebook: Cohesive Properties of Semiconductors under Laser Irradiation

The impact of Materials Science in our environment has probably never been as massive and decisive as it is today. In every aspect of our lives, progress has never been so dependent on the techniques involved in producing ever more sophisticated materials in ever larger quantities, nor so demanding for technologists to imagine novel processes and circumvent difficulties, or take up new challenges. Every technique is based on a physical process which is put into practice and optimized. The better we know that process, the better the optimization, and more powerful the technique. Laser processing of materials is inscribed in that context. As soon as powerful coherent light sources were made available, it was realized that such intense sources of energy could be used to "heat, melt and crystallize" materials, i.e., to promote phase transitions in atomic systems. As early as 1964, attempts in that direction were made but received very little (if any) attention. Reasons for this lack of interest were several. For one thing, laser technology was not fully developed, so that the process offered poor reliability and no versatility. Also, improving the existing techniques was believed to be sufficient to meet the needs of the time, and there was no real motivation to explore new ways. Finally, and more important, the fundamentals of the physics behind the scenes were, and continue to be, way out of the runni~g stream.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XIX
Presentation on Reordering Processes in Laser Irradiated Semiconductors....Pages 1-33
Lasers and Speckle Patterns....Pages 34-69
Pulsed Laser Irradiation of Semiconductors : Thermal Description....Pages 71-108
Transport Theory....Pages 109-127
Phase Diagrams and Segregation....Pages 128-170
Statics and Dynamics of Phase Transitions : A Brief Introduction....Pages 171-196
Theory of Crystal Growth....Pages 197-236
Dynamical Processes during Solidification....Pages 237-253
Nucleation in Condensed Matter....Pages 254-278
Transient Bulk Induced Nucleation in Amorphous Group IV Semiconductors....Pages 279-288
Crystalline, Amorphous and Liquid Silicon....Pages 289-299
Optical Properties of Semiconductors....Pages 300-326
Recombination Mechanisms in Semiconductors....Pages 327-347
Generation, Diffusion and Relaxation of Dense Plasmas in Semiconductors....Pages 348-390
Transient Optical Properties of Laser-Excited Si....Pages 391-403
Time-Resolved Raman Studies of Laser-Excited Semiconductors....Pages 404-418
Ultrafast Phase Transitions in Silicon Induced by Picosecond Laser Interaction....Pages 419-428
Plasma Annealing and Laser Sputtering; Role of the Frenkel Exciton....Pages 429-457
Multi-Electron Defects in the Elemental Semiconductors....Pages 458-482
Optically Excited Defects....Pages 483-505
The Role of Ionized Defects in Ge and Si Crystallization....Pages 506-517
Interfaces under Laser Irradiation....Pages 518-529
Laser Induced Ohmic Conduction in Gallium Arsenide....Pages 530-546
Synthesis of High Purity Semiconducting Compounds by Laser Irradiation....Pages 547-561
Effects of Pulsed Laser Irradiation on the Electrical Properties of GaAS....Pages 562-589
Laser Annealing of Semiconductors Studied by M?ssbauer Spectroscopy....Pages 590-601
Back Matter....Pages 603-614

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XIX
Presentation on Reordering Processes in Laser Irradiated Semiconductors....Pages 1-33
Lasers and Speckle Patterns....Pages 34-69
Pulsed Laser Irradiation of Semiconductors : Thermal Description....Pages 71-108
Transport Theory....Pages 109-127
Phase Diagrams and Segregation....Pages 128-170
Statics and Dynamics of Phase Transitions : A Brief Introduction....Pages 171-196
Theory of Crystal Growth....Pages 197-236
Dynamical Processes during Solidification....Pages 237-253
Nucleation in Condensed Matter....Pages 254-278
Transient Bulk Induced Nucleation in Amorphous Group IV Semiconductors....Pages 279-288
Crystalline, Amorphous and Liquid Silicon....Pages 289-299
Optical Properties of Semiconductors....Pages 300-326
Recombination Mechanisms in Semiconductors....Pages 327-347
Generation, Diffusion and Relaxation of Dense Plasmas in Semiconductors....Pages 348-390
Transient Optical Properties of Laser-Excited Si....Pages 391-403
Time-Resolved Raman Studies of Laser-Excited Semiconductors....Pages 404-418
Ultrafast Phase Transitions in Silicon Induced by Picosecond Laser Interaction....Pages 419-428
Plasma Annealing and Laser Sputtering; Role of the Frenkel Exciton....Pages 429-457
Multi-Electron Defects in the Elemental Semiconductors....Pages 458-482
Optically Excited Defects....Pages 483-505
The Role of Ionized Defects in Ge and Si Crystallization....Pages 506-517
Interfaces under Laser Irradiation....Pages 518-529
Laser Induced Ohmic Conduction in Gallium Arsenide....Pages 530-546
Synthesis of High Purity Semiconducting Compounds by Laser Irradiation....Pages 547-561
Effects of Pulsed Laser Irradiation on the Electrical Properties of GaAS....Pages 562-589
Laser Annealing of Semiconductors Studied by M?ssbauer Spectroscopy....Pages 590-601
Back Matter....Pages 603-614
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