LASER-INDUCED SURFACE CHEMICAL EPITAXY: A NOVEL THIN FILM DEPOSITION TECHNIQUE

THIS PROPOSAL IDENTIFIED A NEW TYPE OF LASER-INDUCED EPITAXIAL GROWTH PROCESS TERMED LASER-INDUCED SURFACE CHEMICAL EPITAXY (LSCE), AND ADDRESSES KEY ISSUED RELATING TO THE FEASIBILITY OF THE TECHNIQUES. THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF LSCE INCLUDE LAYER-BY-LAYER CONTROL OVER STOICHIOMETRY, ABRUPT INTERFACES, AND LOW GROWTH TEMPERATURES. ADDITIONALLY, LSCE MAY BE USED TO DEPOSIT A WIDE VARIETY OF MATERIALS INCLUDING METALS, METAL OXIDES, SULFIDES, AND PHOSPHIDES, AND II-VI AND III-V COMPOUNDS. THESE ADVANTAGES MAKE THE LSCE TECHNIQUE PARTICULARY WELL SUITED TO THE DEPOSITION OF QUANTUM WELL AND SUPERLATTICE MATERIALS AND DEVICE STRUCTURES WHICH WILL PLAY AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN MICROELECTRONICS AND ELECTROOPTICS TECHNOLOGY.