Polycrystalline silicon precipitates on SiO2 using an argon excimer laser

We are developing an argon excimer laser which oscillates at 126 nm (9.8 eV ). Since the photon energy of the laser is as high as 9.8 eV, the laser can induce bond breaking in most of materials without any reactive gas or solu tion. We performed irradiation of an argon excimer laser on crystal and gla ss SiO2, and then investigated the surfaces by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman scattering, X-ray diffraction and reflection of high e nergy electron diffraction measurements. The results indicate that polycrys talline silicon precipitates on the surface with a preferential orientation . (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.