Laser Deposition of Compound Semiconductors: Thermal modeling, Laser annealing, Film characterization and Experimental results

Laser deposition is a versatile technique for preparation of thin films. The process is modeled using both analytical and numerical techniques and described for semiconductors. A pulsed ruby laser was used to deposit CdTe, BN and AlN films. The book introduces the subject of laser materials processing and its applications. Thermal modeling is used to compute the temperature vs time and temperature vs depth profiles for CdTe and BN. CdTe and ZnCdTe crystals were grown by the Bridgman technique for these studies. Laser annealing for electrical activation of ion-implanted P in CdTe is compared favorably with thermal annealing. Another example is the use of the laser for formation of ohmic contacts of Au on CdTe. The main thrust of the work is on the deposition of CdTe, BN and AlN thin films which have been fully characterized using XRD,EDAX, XPS, optical absorption, PL and resistivity measurements which testify to their excellent quality. The variation of deposition rate with semiconductor bandgap is also studied. The book is intended for students and researchers in Semiconductor and Thin Film Technology.It should also be useful for researchers in Materials Science & Engineering.