Electron-energy distribution in silicon under pulsed-laser excitation

Abstract

By yield and energy-distribution measurements, we identify two photoemission regimes from silicon under nanosecond laser irradiation. At low fluence and high photon energy, two- and three-quantum processes are the main emission mechanisms; effects of initial and intermediate states are the dominant spectral features. At high fluence and low photon energy, thermoemission prevails and is characterized by a Maxwellian distribution with a temperature different from that of the lattice during the excitation pulse.