LONG-TERM RELAXATION OF PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY IN Cd3-xZnxAs2 CRYSTALS

Cd3-xZnxAs2 solid solutions belong to the group of semiconductors A3 B2 [1]. Their properties are described in the detailed review [2]. These solutions cause interest because their band structure is likely to be similar to the band structure of Cd1-xHgxTe. It was verified by establishing the characteristic dependence of the width of a forbidden gap on the composition of Cd3-xZnxAs2 crystals. The margins of the forbidden gap in Cd3As2 and in Zn3As2 at T=OK come to-0,1 electronvolt and 1,1 electronvolt correspondingly. This fact attracts attention to the mentioned solutions as possible materials for application in sensors of infrared emanation receivers. The introduction of admixture of group IV elements to solid solutions at x>1.5 helped to produce overcompensated crystals. In those crystals the photoconductivity was originally found [4]. The thermal characteristics of Cd1-xZnxAs2 crystal photoconductivity were investigated. One of the most interesting photoelectric effects in semiconductors is the so-called long-term relaxation of photoconductivity (LRP). The phenomenon reveals itself in long periods (from minutes to hours) of photo response of relaxation when the light is on or off. The known phenomenon of the residual (frizzed) conductivity (RC) ought to be considered a