Crystal structure of laser-induced subsurface modifications in Si

P. C. Verburg, L. A. Smillie, G. R.B.E. Römer, B. Haberl, J. E. Bradby, J. S. Williams, A. J. Huis in ’t Veld

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

Laser-induced subsurface modification of dielectric materials is a well-known technology. Applications include the production of optical components and selective etching. In addition to dielectric materials, the subsurface modification technology can be applied to silicon, by employing near to mid-infrared radiation. An application of subsurface modifications in silicon is laser-induced subsurface separation, which is a method to separate wafers into individual dies. Other applications for which proofs of concept exist are the formation of waveguides and resistivity tuning. However, limited knowledge is available about the crystal structure of subsurface modifications in silicon. In this work, we investigate the geometry and crystal structure of laser-induced subsurface modifications in monocrystalline silicon wafers. In addition to the generation of lattice defects, we found that transformations to amorphous silicon and Si-iii/Si-xii occur as a result of the laser irradiation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)683-691
Number of pages9
JournalApplied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing
Volume120
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 25 2015

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