Materials characterization is the primary application of macro- and micro-Raman spectroscopy in our laboratory. Specifically, we wish to correlate chemical bonding and short to long range translational symmetry (including amorphous, highly oriented, polycrystalline, and single crystal materials) to physical, optical and electronic properties of materials and devices. Raman spectroscopy is particularly useful in this capacity because of its origin in the vibrational motions of chemically bonded atoms and its dependence upon crystal symmetry through the polarization selection rules. Furthermore, the high spatial resolution and non-destructive nature of micro-Raman spectroscopy make it ideal for in situcharacterization of electronic and photonic devices. We will present results of materials characterization studies, performed using macro- and micro-Raman spectroscopy, of electronic and photonic devices. In addition, we will discuss how the Raman polarization selection rules can be advantageously applied to device characterization.

A primary area of investigation involves the study of ion-implanted and annealed Si by Raman spectroscopy.