Laser annealing of thin buried amorphous layers

Using the RBS technique the annealing behaviour of buried amorphous layers in silicon under ruby laser irradiation is investigated. The annealing effects show a remarkable dependence on the intensity of the laser irradiation. The main features of the observed behaviour can be explained within the framework of solid and liquid phase epitaxy of a laser-heated layer. It is shown that melting starts at the surface in spite of the high crystallinity of this region. This result is in good agreement with computer calculations of the temperature rise in silicon during laser irradiation. (author)