Laser-beam writing on amorphous chalcogenide films: Crystallization kinetics and analysis of amorphizing energy

By using laser pulses, the kinetics of crystallization of Te-rich films were studied as a function of light intensity and pulse duration. The initial devitrification was found to be temperature activated (ΔE≃1-1.6 eV), and no evidence for photocrystallization was found. Amorphizing energies for 100-nsec pulses ranged from 0.13 to 0.55 nJ/μ2, depending on the degree of crystallization. Part of this increase is due to heat-of-fusion effects, but most of it is due to increased thermal conductivity with increased crystallization. © 1973 American Institute of Physics.