Non-thermal process for annealing crystalline materials
First Claim
1. A method of mechanically annealing and electrically activating a volume of a crystalline semiconductor doped by implantation, comprising the step of forming an ablation plasma on a surface of said doped crystalline semiconductor by focusing energy onto a spot on said surface so as to launch into said volume of said doped crystalline semiconductor outside said spot a sound wave of sufficient intensity to propagate within, mechanically anneal, and electrically activate said volume while temperatures within said mechanically annealed and electrically activated volume remain below a thermal annealing temperature of said doped crystalline semiconductor.
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Abstract
Bulk crystalline materials are annealed by introducing into them mechanical energy of sufficient intensity to create a large amplitude sound wave. The mechanical energy may be introduced into the material, for example, by laser ablation. Where the bulk crystalline material is a doped semiconductor, the process also electrically activates the material.
46 Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A method of mechanically annealing and electrically activating a volume of a crystalline semiconductor doped by implantation, comprising the step of forming an ablation plasma on a surface of said doped crystalline semiconductor by focusing energy onto a spot on said surface so as to launch into said volume of said doped crystalline semiconductor outside said spot a sound wave of sufficient intensity to propagate within, mechanically anneal, and electrically activate said volume while temperatures within said mechanically annealed and electrically activated volume remain below a thermal annealing temperature of said doped crystalline semiconductor.
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13. A method of repairing lattice damage within, and electrically activating, a volume of doped crystalline semiconductor doped by ion implantation or neutron transmutation doping, comprising the step of focusing energy onto a spot on a surface of said volume of said doped crystalline semiconductor so as to initiate at said spot a shock wave that degenerates into a sound wave of sufficient intensity to repair said lattice damage throughout, and electrically activate, said volume of said doped crystalline semiconductor outside said spot while temperatures within said repaired volume remain below a thermal annealing temperature of said doped crystalline semiconductor.
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