Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Three different photoelectric regimes are observed in the interaction of 15 ps, 266 nm laser pulses with crystalline silicon samples versus light fluence. A superposition of linear and quadratic photoionization is followed by a space charge limited regime up to the critical fluence F4ωth for the surface amorphization where highly nonlinear ion emission is observed. Ion and electron emissions become equal in magnitude at a fluence - ∼ 2F4ωth The absence of observable thermionic effects indicates that thermal equilibrium of the electronhole plasma and the lattice is reached during the laser pulse duration.
Present address: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bell Hall, SUNY at Buffalo, Amherst, NY 14260