Hardness and Plasticity of Single-Crystalline Silicon Irradiated by Millisecond Laser Pulses

Abstract

The usefulness of the concept of average elastic and plastic deformation under an indenter for the estimation of the structural perfection of a single crystal surface is evidenced. The growing structural perfection of silicon after laser irradiation causes a significant increase of plastic deformation under an indenter. The results are discussed from the position of modern theoretical view points.