ABSTRACT
In this chapter we describe in more detail than previously the experimental methods and approaches used in the study of silicon crystals and silicon microstructures using the generation of reflected optical harmonics, especially RSH. Information about the studied objects can be obtained from the reflected harmonics parameters such as their intensity, polarization and phase. Note that the harmonics frequency in this case does not relate to the informative parameters as it is defined not by the properties of the reflecting object but by the pump frequency. As follows from the Introduction and subsequent chapters, these parameters carry a lot of diverse information about the objects, and of the particular value is the sensitivity of these harmonics to the surface properties of centrosymmetric crystals, their interphase boundaries (IPBs) and microstructures based on them. Studied can be the crystal structure, its morphology, electrophysical properties: the presence and range of surface states, the presence of the adsorbate and more. As already stated in the Introduction, these parameters of reflected radiation can be influenced by a number of factors. Accordingly, it is of interest to study experimentally how the parameters of harmonics depend on these factors as much valuable information on the objects being studied can be obtained by analysis of these dependences. These include angular and polarization dependence (the ARSH method), dependences on the applied quasi-static electric field (NER method), on surface current, mechanical stresses etc. In recent years, extensive studies have been carried out of the spectral dependences of the parameters of non-linear optical response using tunable pumping sources. Combinations of various methods are used on an increasing scale.
