Melting phenomena and pulsed-laser annealing in semiconductors

Annealing of displacement damage (amorphous as well as layers containing only dislocation loops), dissolution of boron precipitates, broadening of dopant profiles, and the formation of constitutional supercooling cells have been studied in laser annealed silicon. These samples were irradiated with laser pulses (λ = 0.485 μm, E = 0.7–1.25 J cm−2, τ = 9 ns), the same as those used by Compaan and coworkers for Raman temperature measurements. In contrast to their conclusion, present results can be interpreted only on the basis of a melting model.