Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2011
A comprehensive review is presented of the use of transient thermal processing for the activation of implanted dopants, the alloying of ohmic contacts, the pulse diffusion of Zn for p+ contacts, and other heat treatments of GaAs. In all cases, transient processing produces results at least as good as furnace heating, and in some instances, markedly better. The special needs of GaAs, such as encapsulation of the wafer surface, and prevention of slip and warpage are discussed, as well as recent results detailing implant damage removal processes during transient annealing.