We demonstrate that nonequilibrium carrier dynamics play a significant role in nanosecond laser-induced electron emission from semiconductor surfaces. Surface emission current and electron yields due to thermionic and photoelectric effects are calculated for a 2 ns laser pulse irradiation, with fluences below the threshold for melting. The photoelectric effect is found to dominate electron emission only at low fluences, whereas thermionic emission from interband absorption is responsible for electron emission at high incident fluences. The results present a satisfactory interpretation of experimental observations for nanosecond laser-induced electron emission from silicon.
AD -Univ Calif Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA Univ Calif Berkeley, Dept Mech Engn, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
BT - Applied Physics Letters C2 - LBNL-42106 DA - 09/1998 DO - 10.1063/1.121886 IS - 10 LA - eng LB - Laser N2 -We demonstrate that nonequilibrium carrier dynamics play a significant role in nanosecond laser-induced electron emission from semiconductor surfaces. Surface emission current and electron yields due to thermionic and photoelectric effects are calculated for a 2 ns laser pulse irradiation, with fluences below the threshold for melting. The photoelectric effect is found to dominate electron emission only at low fluences, whereas thermionic emission from interband absorption is responsible for electron emission at high incident fluences. The results present a satisfactory interpretation of experimental observations for nanosecond laser-induced electron emission from silicon.
PY - 1998 SP - 1331 EP - 1333 ST - Appl. Phys. Lett. T2 - Applied Physics Letters TI - Breakdown of equilibrium approximation for nanosecond laser-induced electron emission from silicon VL - 73 ER -