Photoluminescence study of laser annealing in phosphorus-implanted and unimplanted silicon

Abstract

Photoluminescence (PL) measurements are used to study the effects of laser annealing on phosphorus‐implanted and unimplanted silicon. PL measurements give a higher threshold energy for annealing than do electrical measurements. Dependence of crystal‐quality recovery on dose and laser‐annealing energy are examined. The PL intensity of the laser‐annealed high‐dose (8×10¹⁵ cm⁻²) sample is comparable to that of bulk silicon. On the other hand, laser annealing reduces the PL intensity of unimplanted silicon. These annealing effects are explained in terms of the temperature rise at the sample surface during annealing. In addition, laser annealing of vacuum‐deposited amorphous‐silicon layers leads to the growth of epitaxial layers with PL intensities as high as bulk silicon.