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Impact of solidification dynamics on crystal properties of silicon molten by a nanosecond laser pulse

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Abstract

In this study, we use pump-probe microscopy to examine the melting and solidification dynamics of silicon during and after a UV laser pulse with a duration of \(30\,\hbox {ns}\). Below the ablation threshold, we observe lateral melt front contraction velocities of up to \(600\,\hbox {ms}^{-1}\). The peak velocities spatially coincide with a ring of lower crystallinity within the formerly molten area, as we show with spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Laura Stevens for performing the AFM measurement and Andreas Fell for providing the simulation software. This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy within the research Projects nos. 0325775 and 0324034.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110, Freiburg, Germany

    Fabian Meyer, Andreas Büchler, Andreas A. Brand, Manoj K. Dasa, Jan F. Nekarda & Ralf Preu

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  1. Fabian Meyer
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  2. Andreas Büchler
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  3. Andreas A. Brand
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  4. Manoj K. Dasa
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  5. Jan F. Nekarda
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Correspondence to Fabian Meyer.

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Meyer, F., Büchler, A., Brand, A.A. et al. Impact of solidification dynamics on crystal properties of silicon molten by a nanosecond laser pulse. Appl. Phys. A 124, 254 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-1682-6

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