Surface damage of GaAs from 0.694- and 1.06-μ laser radiation

Abstract

A study of GaAs surface damage due to ruby and Nd-glass laser radiation is presented. The laser wavelengths chosen represent photon energies both above and below the band gap. Garich material develops on the surface to a greater extent with conventional mode operation than with the Q-switched mode. Although the nature of the surface preparation was seen to influence the damage threshold for the case of Q-switched pulsing, no correlation was found to exist between the threshold and the absence, presence, or type of doping. The damage threshold for Nd-glass laser radiation was approximately 107 W/cm2, only a little higher than that for ruby laser radiation. For Nd-glass laser radiation, the damage appears to be connected with material flaws which are especially susceptible to damage due to their proximity to the surface.