Damage created by high-current-density implants of phosphorus into 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 silicon wafers

The damage left by high-current-density, 9 A/cm², implants of 120 keV phosphorus into 100 and 111 silicon oriented substrates was investigated as a function of the fluence in the range 4×10¹⁵–1.5×10¹⁶/cm². The samples were analyzed by 2 MeV He⁺ channeling and transmission electron microscopy. Initially a buried amorphous layer forms at low fluences until the wafer temperature saturates at 450 °C at a fluence of 4.5×10¹⁵/cm². As the fluence is further increased ion-assisted regrowth of this initial buried amorphous layer takes place and is 2 to 2.5 times faster (with respect to ion fluence) for 100 substrates than for 111 substrates. At higher fluences, most of the residual damage is located at a depth equal to the sum of the projected range and of the straggling. In the regrown layers twins are found in both orientations, and in some cases a hexagonal silicon phase is present at high fluences. The results are compared with the ion assisted regrowth of amorphous layers at well defined temperatures in the 250°–400 °C range.     

Studies on excimer laser doping of GaAs using sulphur adsorbate as dopant source

Excimer laser doping of GaAs using sulphur adsorbate as a dopant source is demonstrated. Box-like n-type layers of depths of about 100 nm with carrier concentration as high as (23)×10¹⁹ cm^–3 are formed. Passivation of GaAs using a (NH₄)₂S_x solution for 40 min followed by sublimation of the excess sulphur atoms in high vacuum result in an effective dopant for controllable n-type doping. The samples are irradiated using a KrF excimer laser in a N₂ gaseous environment. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements show that sulphur is successfully incorporated in the GaAs. The sheet resistance is controlled by adjusting the laser energy fluence and number of laser pulses. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry with channeling (RBS/C) alignment measurement indicates that lattice damage is undetectable for N₂ gas pressures of 760 Torr.     

Modeling and Simulation of Saturation Gain of IR Integrated Photonic Amplifiers

IR integrated photonic amplifiers at 1.55m operation will have good foreground in optical phasedarray radars for splitters and signal processing. The saturation gain characteristics of IR integrated photonic waveguide amplifiers (taken Er³⁺Yb³⁺ co-doped phosphate glass waveguide amplifiers as an example) are studied theoretically. For the homemade laser glass materials the calculated saturation intensities are 2.22kw /cm² for signal and 10.15kw/cm² for pump. The effects of absorption saturation of signal and pump lights on the gain of amplifiers are discussed.     

Pulsed laser crystallization of hydrogen-free a-Si thin films for high-mobility poly-Si TFT fabrication

The possibility to fabricate high-mobility polysilicon TFTs by nanosecond pulsed laser crystallization of unhydrogenated amorphous Si thin films has been investigated. Two types of lasers have been used: a large area ( 1 cm²) single ArF excimer laser pulse and a small diameter ( 100 m) frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser beam, working in the scanning regime. Processed films have been characterized in detail by different optical and microscopic techniques. Device performances indicate that the best results are achieved with the excimer laser leading to high mobility values (up to 140 cm²/Vs) which are much larger than in polysilicon TFTs fabricated onto the same quartz substrates by low-temperature thermal (630° C) crystallization of amorphous Si films (_fe55 cm²/Vs).     

Lattice disorder in silicon induced by 2.0 MeV Cu+ irradiation

The effect of 2.0 MeV Cu⁺ irradiation on Si(100) crystal has been studied by the Rutherford backscattering/channeling technique. Analysis of the lattice disorder distribution has been performed under 100 direction of tilting off from the target normal: 7°, 30°, and 45° as well as different doses. The lattice disorder distributions in Si(100) have been compared with TRIM'89 simulation. The results show that the lattice disorder distributions in Si(100) under different irradiation angles seem to be in good agreement with TRIM'89 simulation. When the dose increases up to 8.7×10¹⁴ ions/cm², the defect concentration increases leading to the formation of an amorphous layer.     

High-power source of coherent picosecond light pulses tunable from 0.41 to 12.9 μm

We report a high-power source of coherent picosecond light pulses based on optical parametric generation and amplification in LiB₃O₅ and AgGaS₂ crystals. The spectral range of this continuously tunable source covers the visible, near-infrared and medium-infrared spectrum from 0.41 to 12.9 m. An optical parametric generator and amplifier, consisting of two type-I phase-matched LiB₃O₅ crystals and a diffraction grating, is pumped by the third harmonic of a picosecond Nd:YAG laser and provides spectrally narrow, high-power pulses from 0.41 to 2.4 m. Energy conversion efficiencies up to 16 percent are achieved. The pulse duration is about 14 ps, the bandwidth between 10 and 30 cm^–1. The tuning range is extended to 12.9 m by mixing the infrared output between 1.16 and 2.13 m with the fundamental of the Nd:YAG laser in type-I-phase-matched AgGaS₂ crystals. Up to 25 percent of the pulse energy at 1.064 m is converted into parametric infrared pulses. Bandwidths between 3 and 8 cm^–1 and a pulse duration of approximately 19 ps are measured for these pulses. We also observe a retracing behaviour in the tuning curve of AgGaS₂ not reported before.     

Dopant-induced excimer laser ablation of poly(tetrafluoroethylene)

Clean ablation of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) at etch rates in excess of 7µm/pulse has been achieved with an excimer laser using 308nm radiation and a 25 ns pulse width. This was accomplished by doping the ultraviolet-transparent PTFE polymer with polyimide. Ablation rates were investigated as a function of fluence in the range from 1 to 12J/cm² and dopant levels up to 15% (wt/wt). Results show that at a given fluence there exists an optimum absorption coefficient _max, for which maximum ablation rates are achieved. The value of _max was found to decrease with increasing fluence. The relationship between _max and fluence was determined from existing ablation rate models and found to compare favorably with empirical results.     

Bone-ablation mechanism using CO2 lasers of different pulse duration and wavelength

Bone ablation using different pulse parameters and four emission lines of 9.3, 9.6, 10.3, and 10.6 m of the CO₂ laser exhibits effects which are caused by the thermal properties and the absorption spectrum of bone material. The ablation mechanism was investigated with light- and electron-microscopy at short laser-pulse durations of 0.9 and 1.8 s and a long pulse of 250 s. It is shown that different processes are responsible for the ablation mechanism either using the short or the long pulse durations. In the case of short pulse durations it is shown that, although the mineral components are the main absorber for CO₂ radiation, water is the driving force for the ablation process. The destruction of material is based on explosive evaporation of water with an ablation energy of 1.3 kJ/cm³. Histological examination revealed a minimal zone of 10–15 m of thermally altered material at the bottom of the laser drilled hole. Within the investigated spectral range we found that the ablation threshold at 9.3 and 9.6 m is lower than at 10.3 and 10.6 m. In comparison the ablation with a long pulse duration is determined by two processes. On the one side, the heat lost by heat conduction leads to carbonization of a surface layer, and the absorption of the CO₂ radiation in this carbonized layer is the driving force of the ablation process. On the other side, it is shown that up to 60% of the pulse energy is absorbed in the ablation plume. Therefore, a long pulse duration results in an eight-times higher specific ablation energy of 10 kJ/cm³.     

Light absorption in laser-heated cavities

The absorption of laser light in 0.25–1 mm diameter gold cavities, irradiated for the purpose of generating high-temperature blackbody radiation with intense laser radiation of either =0.44 m or =1.3 m wavelength, was investigated. For =0.44 m radiation the absorption exceeded 0.9 for all conditions, but dropped to only 0.3 for the smallest cavities irradiated at =1.3 m. Entrance hole and cavity filling with plasma seems important for the understanding of the observations.     

The lanthanideβ″ aluminas

The entire sodium ion content of sodium alumina (Na_1.67Mg_0.67Al_10.33O₁₇) can be replaced with a variety of lanthanide ions by simple diffusion reactions at moderate temperatures (500–700°C). Lanthanide alumina crystals are hard, clear, chemically stable, and have well-defined crystal structures. The fluorescence spectrum of Nd³⁺ in alumina is similar to that in YAG. The lifetime of the⁴ F _3/2 state of Nd³⁺ in completely-exchanged alumina (350s at 10²¹ Nd³⁺ cm^–3) is about 45% longer than in YAG (240s at 10²⁰Nd³⁺ cm^–3). The lanthanide aluminas may be of considerable interest as new phosphor and laser host materials.     

Gain dynamics of the 4.3 μm CO2 laser

A detailed study of the gain dynamics of the pulsed, optically pumped 4.3 m CO₂ laser is described. Small-signal gain coefficients as high as 14%/cm are measured in a 4.3 m amplifier using low-power pulses from a 4.3 m probe laser. The measurements are compared with a rate-equation model and good quantitative agreement is obtained. The model, which uses no adjustable parameters, is described in detail. Gain is studied as a function of optical pumping power, gas mixture, gas pressure and discharge excitation of the 4.3 m amplifier. Optimization of the gain is discussed.     

Pulsed 532 nm laser wirestripping: Removal of dye-doped polyurethane insulation

Removal of rhodamine 6G doped polyurethane insulation coated onto 50 m diameter wire is shown to proceed efficiently and cleanly by irradiation with 532 nm Q-switched pulses from a Nd:YAG laser. The stripping action produced by this method is similar in quality to excimer laser wirestripping. Several experimental parameters were explored including fluence, pulse duration, dye concentration, and the number of incident pulses. Acceptable stripping conditions were obtained for a 3–5 s exposure at 10 Hz, using a dye concentration of 10% by weight, and 12 n pulses at 650 mJ/cm². Nearly 0.5 m/pulse is removed at this fluence, which exceeds the threshold fluence of 600 mJ/cm² by only 50 mJ/cm². The measured 532 nm absorption coefficient of the 10% dye-doped polyurethane was 4×10⁴ cm^–1. Lower fluences and/or dye concentrations produced inadequate stripping, while shorter duration pulses caused unacceptable melting of the thin gold layer which covered the copper core of the wire. Pulse-by-pulse photographs of the stripping action clearly show melting of the dye/polymer insulation, and thermal rollback of the insulation near the stripped end. Regardless, excellent edge definition is obtained by this method.     

Formaldehyde sensor using interband cascade laser based quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy

A novel continuous-wave mid-infrared distributed feedback interband cascade laser was utilized to detect and quantify formaldehyde (H₂CO) using quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy. The laser was operated at liquid-nitrogen temperatures and provided single-mode output powers of up to 12 mW at 3.53 m (2832.5 cm^-1). The noise equivalent (1) detection sensitivity of the sensor was measured to be 2.2×10^-8 cm^-1W(Hz)^-1/2 for H₂CO in ambient air, which corresponds to a detection limit of 0.6 parts in 10⁶ by volume (ppmv) for a 10 s sensor time constant and 3.4 mW laser power delivered to the sensor module. PACS 42.62.Fi; 72.50.+b     

Analytic study of power spectra of the tent maps near band-splitting transitions

Successive band-splitting transitions occur in the one-dimensional map x_i+1=g(x_i),i=0, 1, 2,... withg(x)=x, (0 x 1/2) –x +, (1/2 <x 1) as the parameter is changed from 2 to 1. The transition point fromN (=2ⁿ) bands to 2Nbands is given by=(2)^1/N (n=0, 1,2,...). The time-correlation function _i=x_ix₀/(x₀)²,x_i x_i–x_i is studied in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Frobenius-Perron operator of the map. It is shown that, near the transition point=2, _i–[(10–42)/17] _i,0-[(102-8)/51]_i,1 + [(7 + 42)/17](–1)ⁱe^–yi, where2(–2) is the damping constant and vanishes at=2, representing the critical slowing-down. This critical phenomenon is in strong contrast to the topologically invariant quantities, such as the Lyapunov exponent, which do not exhibit any anomaly at=2. The asymptotic expression for _i has been obtained by deriving an analytic form of _i for a sequence of which accumulates to 2 from the above. Near the transition point=(2)^1/N, the damping constant of _i fori N is given by _N=2(^N-2)/N. Numerical calculation is also carried out for arbitrary a and is shown to be consistent with the analytic results.     

NaK 22Σ+ → 11Σ+ band optically pumped laser near 1.02 μm

Optically pumped laser emission has been observed on the NaK 2(A)¹⁺ 1(X)¹⁺ electronic state transition. The emission occurs between 1.015 and 1.035 m when a sodium-potassium heat-pipe oven is pumped with 695–745 nm pulsed dye laser radiation. The laser emission occurs on many ro-vibrational transitions without the use of cavity mirrors. However, the addition of a simple cavity increases both the number of observed lasing transitions and the amplitude of the emission on each line. We report our results for the dependence of the emission intensity on pump laser power, oven temperature, and buffer gas pressure.     

UV-holographic gratings in TS-diacetylene single crystals

Holographic gratings with grating periods between 0.37 m and 4.4 m, respectively, were recorded on the surface of TS-diacetylene single crystals by two interfering 257 nm laser beams. Diffraction efficiencies of up to 35 % were obtained for readout with red light of = 633 nm. The main modulation mechanism was phase modulation. The spatial resolution was better than 1600 lines/mm. The upper limit of the polymer chain length was 0.6 m. The holographic sensitivity was 4.5 cm²/J for immediate read-out at 633 nm without processing after exposure. — A weakly exposed latent hologram may be developed simply by gentle annealing the crystal which increases the sensitivity by one order of magnitude.     

A new method to measure the wavelength of single-mode pulsed lasers with a scanning Michelson interferometer

We report on the possibility to measure the wave-lengths of pulsed single-mode lasers by means of a two-beam Michelson interferometer in motion [1,2]. The corner reflector moves with a nearly constant speed creating a path differenceL so thatL/C 1/, being the spectral width of the laser to be measured. The reference laser is a stabilized He-Ne (Spectra-Physics, model 117 A) to a precision of the order of two parts in 10⁹. The fringe pattern of the two beams (reference beam and measured beam) is sampled simultaneously with a repetition rate of 40 ms. With this new method, the frequency doubled injection-seeded Nd: YAG laser wavelength has been measured with an accuracy of the order of 1.5 in 10⁸3 × 10^–4 cm^–1 at 532nm.     

Microstructure of nodular cast iron after excimer laser surface processing

Nodular iron of martensitic structure was treated by means of a XeCl laser prototype. The energy density varied from 0.3 to 5 J/cm² and the number of shots from 4 to 40. Conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy, conversion X-ray Mössbauer spectroscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the irradiated surface. Some Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements were performed to control surface oxidation and carbon distribution. It is shown that after irradiation austenite formed in a rather deep heat affected zone (10–20 m) compared to the thickness of the melted zone ( 1 m). The austenite amount as well as its carbon content increase with energy density and number of shots up to a threshold of carbide formation. Beyond the threshold Fe₂C, Fe₃C and Fe₅C₂ formed only in the melted zone. The carbon content as a function of depth is constant in the melted layer, then decreases quickly from the melted layer-heat affected zone interface down its initial value. The carbon content is shown to govern the evolution of phases content in the melted layer depending on the laser treatment conditions.     

A tunable light source in the 370 nm range based on an optically stabilized,frequency-doubled semiconductor laser

A tunable harmonic output power of 18 W at a wavelength of =370 nm is obtained by resonance-enhanced frequency doubling of an optically-stabilized semiconductor laser. A commercially available AlGaAs laser diode which emits a maximum power of 10 mW at =740 nm is operated in an extended-cavity configuration. Dispersion prisms are used in the extended cavity to obtain longitudinal-mode selection with low loss of optical power. The output is focussed into an optically isolated high-finesse ring resonator which contains a LiIO₃ crystal for second-harmonic generation. One potential application of this laser source is the optical excitation and laser cooling of ytterbium in an ion trap. In a related demonstration experiment, the frequency-doubled diode laser is applied to excite the =369.5 nm ² S _1/2-² P _1/2 transition of ytterbium ions in a hollow-cathode discharge.     

Narrowband tunable sub-millimetre hot hole injectionless semiconductor laser and its use for cyclotron resonance investigation

A narrowband far-infrared laser on intersubband transitions of hot holes was constructed and investigated. Two methods were used: mode selection due to intercavity Fabry-Perot resonator and selection of a narrow spectral lasing region by special multilayer mirror. The emission spectra of the laser were determined. The radiation bandwidth measured was 0.2 cm^-1 as compared with 15–30 cm^-1 for nonselective resonator. Lasing with selective resonator could occur at any two wavelengths in the ranges 80–120 and 150–200 m. The wavelength was modified by altering electric and magnetic fields. The radiation power was about 10 W and of the same kind as that of a laser without a mode selector. The narrowband laser was used in investigation of CR of electrons in n-InSb.