Verfahren zur Strukturierung einer elektrisch leitenden oder halbleitenden Schicht

Structuring an electrically conducting or semiconducting layer, by means of which one or a plurality of layer regions (6) of the layer are electrically insulated and/or the electrical conductivity of the one or the plurality of layer regions of the layer can be set purposefully. In the method, the layer between and/or alongside the layer regions (6) to be insulated is locally irradiated with energetic radiation. Alternatively, the one or the plurality of layer regions of the layer intended to be set purposefully in terms of the conductivity thereof is or are irradiated with energetic radiation. For the irradiation of the layer, a radiant intensity below the removal threshold of the layer material and below a melt threshold of the layer material is chosen, in the case of which a modification of the layer material leads to the production of electrically insulating layer properties or purposefully reduced electrical conductivity as layer properties. The modification is effected by introducing trap states for free charge carriers into the layer material or by extracting dopants for free charge carriers from the layer material.