Anisotropy of optical, electrical, and photoelectrical properties of amorphous hydrogenated silicon films modified by femtosecond laser irradiation

Two types of independent anisotropic structures have been formed simultaneously in amorphous hydrogenated films by applying a femtosecond laser pulse to them, i.e., a structure with a period of several micrometers to several tens of micrometers and a structure with a period of several hundred nanometers. The formation mechanisms of these strictures are different, which allows us to orient them relative to each other in a desirable way. Both structures independently influence the optical properties of the modified films, which causes the diffraction of transmitted light and making the films polarization-sensitive. The conductivity of the modified films correlates with the mutual orientation of the anisotropic structures, whereas no interrelation between the photoconductivity and optical performance of the modified films has been observed.