Growth and defects in cadmium telluride and related alloys

CdTe and related alloy crystals with large single grain areas have been grown and characterized. Zinc distribution in CdZnTe (Zn 4%) crystals have been controlled (±0.5%) by post growth annealing. The mid gap defect states in CdTe have been characterized by photoluminescence spectroscopy and can be related to deviation from stoichiometry and vacancy impurity complexes. Hydrogenation studies on both undoped p-type and n-type CdTe:In shows that both donors and acceptors are passivated by the diffusing atomic hydrogen. Exposure of CdTe:In to nitrogen plasma (NPE) leads to Au/n-CdTe Schottky diodes showing excellent and stable rectifying characteristics with low leakage current. The NPE process studies done here have great significance for CdTe based device fabricatio