Laser-induced melting and defect formation in the surface layer of cadmium telluride

Modification of structural, electrical, and recombinational properties of CdTe induced by nanosecond pulsed ruby laser radiation was investigated by second harmonic generation, photoreflection, and photoluminescence. The threshold energy density necessary for the melting of the CdTe surface was determined to be Wth = 40 ± 5 mJ/cm2. No significant changes in the semiconductor properties were found under irradiation with W th, while at Wth ≥ Wth, laser-induced defects could be recorded. Apart from the formation of defects, their competitive annihilation was also observed in a narrow energy range near the melting threshold.