Method and apparatus for activating compound semiconductor

Abstract

A compound semiconductor is placed in a reaction vessel ( 12 ) of which the inner gas is subjected to replacement with a low-vapor-pressure gas ( 2 ) whose equilibrium vapor pressure at the melting point of the compound semiconductor is 1 atm or lower. The low-vapor-pressure gas is urged to flow along the surface of the compound semiconductor while keeping the internal pressure of the reaction vessel at a value not lower than that equilibrium vapor pressure. The surface of the compound semiconductor is irradiated with a pulsed-laser light ( 3 ) whose photon energy is higher than the band gap of the compound semiconductor. Thus, only that part of the compound semiconductor which is located at the pulsed-laser light irradiation position is instantly heated and melted while keeping the atmospheric temperature of the low-vapor-pressure gas at a room temperature or a temperature equal to or lower than the decomposition temperature.

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         8 . An apparatus for activating a compound semiconductor, comprising:
 a reaction vessel configured to receive therein the compound semiconductor under an airtight state;   a gas supplying device configured to supply low-vapor-pressure gas whose equilibrium vapor pressure at a melting point of the compound semiconductor is one atmospheric pressure or lower into the reaction vessel;   a gas temperature adjusting device configured to keep an atmospheric temperature of the low-vapor-pressure gas at a room temperature equal to or lower than a decompression temperature; and   a pulsed-laser irradiating device configured to irradiate a pulsed-laser light whose photon energy is higher than a band gap of the compound semiconductor to a surface of the compound semiconductor,   thereby permitting the inner gas in the reaction vessel to be replaced with the low-vapor-pressure gas, and allowing the low-vapor-pressure gas to flow along the surface of the compound semiconductor while keeping the internal pressure of the reaction vessel at a value not lower than the equilibrium vapor pressure, and further allowing the pulsed-laser light to be irradiated onto the surface of the compound semiconductor such that only a part of the compound semiconductor located at the irradiation position of the pulsed-laser light is melted.