Photothermal imaging of copper-decorated grain boundary in silicon

Abstract

Using a scanning photothermal reflectance microscope we have observed a large enhancement of the modulated reflectance signal accompanied by a phase change of π in the region of a copper-decorated grain boundary in silicon. A preliminary analysis of the data is given in terms of the thermal and plasma waves generated in the specimen. Orders of magnitude of recombination velocities of the surface and the boundary are determined in reasonable agreement with electrical measurements.