Silicon supersaturated with up to 0.6 at. % sulfur in solid solution was fabricated by ion implantation and pulsed-laser-melting-induced rapid solidification. The optical absorption coefficient over the range of 1200-2500 nm is uniformly high at ϳ2.5ϫ 10 4 / cm, which is at least an order of magnitude greater than the maximum value attributable to free carriers. High crystal quality was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and ion channeling. The absorption coefficient decreases markedly with subsequent furnace annealing over the range of 200-600°C. We propose that the high absorptivity is due to a broad distribution of sulfur-related localized states within the band gap.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.