LIGHT-EMITTING SI PREPARED BY LASER ANNEALING OF A-SI-H

We present time-resolved reflectivity, photoluminescence, dark conduct ivity and morphology studies of light-emitting Si prepared by pulsed X eCl laser irradiation of amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) depos ited on a silica substrate by glow discharge deposition. Laser-induced melting and recrystallization of the a-Si:H layers lead to visible ro om temperature photoluminescence, accompanied by an increase in dark c onductivity by more than three orders of magnitude. We investigate the influence of the number of applied laser pulses on the properties of the processed layers.