Effect of disorder on structures due to interband transitions in silicon

The optical response of silicon near the E1 structure, due to interband transitions, has been studied as a function of disorder by means of electroreflectance (ER). It is found that crystal grains smaller than the Rutherford backscattering (RBS) spatial resolution can still give rise to a measurable signal. The ER lineshape is briefly discussed and some important features are stressed.