Investigation of shock-compressed III-V semiconductors*

We report postmortem studies on shock-compressed direct band-gap semiconductors. Shock waves are immediate jumps of pressure that are generated by high-speed impact or explosion. They usually lead to permanent changes in the material structures and properties. Here, commercial III-V wafers were characterized before and after shock wave compression. Shock compressions were performed on a laser-driven flyer plate system at impact velocities of 2 – 3.5 km/s, corresponding to pressures of 14-24 GPa. The semiconductors were recovered after shock for postmortem analysis with x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and Raman measurements at room temperature. The results have shown evidence of permanent changes in the crystal structures of the compressed materials. Considering the wide usage of semiconductor bulk substrates in the hi-tech industry, we emphasize the significance of practical, shock-induced band structure engineering pathways.