Formation of intrinsic oxide nanocrystals on the surface of GaSe under laser irradiation

Abstract

The process of GaSe surface oxidation is investigated. The work function is revealed to vary by 0.5 eV within a few hours after the formation of a cleaved facet of the semiconductor surface. It is demonstrated that low-energy laser irradiation with a wavelength of 650 nm leads to the generation of an intrinsic oxide on the crystallite surfaces. On account of continuous exposure to laser radiation for 6 h, the work function of the GaSe surface increases by 1 eV, i.e., becomes twice as large as that obtained without irradiation.