OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF LASER-PROCESSED INXGA1-XAS

Various spots in GaAs, In-diffused with the 1.064 mu m line of pulsed Nd:YAG laser with several energy densities, have been characterized an d compared with samples prepared by the conventional rapid thermal ann ealing method. Of the energy densities used, the spot processed with a n energy density of 7 J/cm(2) shows InxGa1-xAs phases with an indium c oncentration of 60% and below. An abrupt boundary in the indium concen tration is observed at the edge of the laser-annealed spot. The diffus ion depth is found to be less than 1000 Angstrom. The spot processed w ith an energy density of 14 J/cm(2) 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-diff used samples. However, these thermally annealed samples suffer from ar senic loss unlike the laser-processed samples. It can be concluded tha t laser-induced alloying of indium into GaAs can be achieved with less arsenic loss than the thermal annealing method.