Optical properties of laser-processed In _x Ga_1−x As

Abstract

Various spots in GaAs, In-diffused with the 1.064 μm line of pulsed Nd:YAG laser with several energy densities, have been characterized and compared with samples prepared by the conventional rapid thermal annealing method. Of the energy densities used, the spot processed with an energy density of 7 J/cm² shows In _x Ga_1−x As phases with an indium concentration of 60% and below. An abrupt boundary in the indium concentration is observed at the edge of the laser-annealed spot. The diffusion depth is found to be less than 1000 Å. The spot processed with an energy density of 14 J/cm² shows considerable damage from the irradiation resulting in strain in the lattice. The samples prepared by the thermal annealing method show similar results to the laser-diffused samples. However, these thermally annealed samples suffer from arsenic loss unlike the laser-processed samples. It can be concluded that laser-induced alloying of indium into GaAs can be achieved with less arsenic loss than the thermal annealing method.