Laser and Ion Beam Modification of Semiconductors - Phase Transitions and Processing Technologies

The use of energentic beams for processing semiconductors has given rise to new technologies and new concepts in materials science. Ion implantation is historically the technique that has had the greatest impact. The development of integrated circuit technology would not have been possible without ion implantation. From a basic viewpoint, the interaction of energetic ion beams with solids has allowed us to explore many phenomena from metastable solid solutions to amorphous semiconductors and solid phase crystal growth. Lasers have had their greatest impact as tools for rapidly heating semiconductors. In this way we have been able to map, for the first time, the Si phase transitions amongst the three condensed phases: crystal, amorphous and liquid.