The Impact of N2 Anneal on Laser Processed Silicon

Abstract

In this paper, the impact of the N2 anneal on laser processed silicon was investigated using photoluminescence (PL) imaging through comparing the PL signal of laser processed samples before and after N2 anneal. The samples capped with different dielectrics or without any dielectric (bare surface) prior to the laser processing were used, enabling the evaluation of the influence of the N2 anneal on the defects caused both by laser thermal effect and by the existence of dielectrics. Generally, it was found that N2 anneal is an effective way to reduce both the laser and dielectric induced defects. Show more