I. I. Izhnin

Defect study in molecular beam epitaxy-grown HgCdTe films with activated and unactivated arsenic

A defect study was performed on molecular beam epitaxy-grown HgCdTe films in situ doped with arsenic. Doping was performed from either effusion cell or cracker cell, and studied were both as-grown samples and samples subjected to arsenic activation annealing. Electrical properties of the films were investigated with the use of ion milling as a means of “stirring” defects in the material. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the most efficient incorporation of electrically active arsenic occurs at the cracking zone temperature of 700 °C. Interaction between arsenic and tellurium during the growth was observed and is discussed in the paper.

Electrical and optical properties of CdHgTe films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on silicon substrates

The electrical and optical properties of epitaxial CdHgTe films grown on silicon substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy have been studied. The results of photoluminescence measurements are indicative of the high structural perfection of the films, and Hall data combined with low-energy ion treatment point to a low concentration of residual donors (∼5 × 1014 cm−3). Acceptor states supposedly related to the capture of impurities at structural defects typical of strongly lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxial structures are found in the films.

Photoluminescence of HgCdTe nanostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs

Photoluminescence (PL) of HgCdTe-based hetero-epitaxial nanostructures with 50 to 1100 nm-wide potential wells was studied. The nanostructures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. A strong degree of alloy disorder was found in the material, which led to the broadening of the PL spectra and a considerable Stokes shift that could be traced up to temperature T∼230 K. Annealing of the structures improved the ordering and led to the increase in the PL intensity. A remarkable feature of the PL was an unexpectedly small decrease of its intensity with temperature increasing from 84 to 300 K. This effect can be related to localization of carriers at potential fluctuations and to the specific character of Auger-type processes in HgCdTe-based nanostructures.

Acceptor states in heteroepitaxial CdHgTe films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

The photoluminescence method is used to study acceptor states in CdHgTe heteroepitaxial films (HEFs) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. A comparison of the photoluminescence spectra of HEFs grown on GaAs substrates (CdHgTe/GaAs) with the spectra of CdHgTe/Si HEFs demonstrates that acceptor states with energy depths of about 18 and 27 meV are specific to CdHgTe/GaAs HEFs. The possible nature of these states and its relation to the HEF synthesis conditions and, in particular, to the vacancy doping occurring under conditions of a mercury deficiency during the course of epitaxy and postgrowth processing are discussed.

Electrical properties of HgCdTe films grown by MOCVD and doped with as

Electrical properties of HgCdTe films grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) on GaAs substrates and doped with the As acceptor during the growth were studied. Discrete mobility spectrum analysis was used to extract the parameters of the as-grown films and films after ion milling and during prolonged relaxation of milling-induced defects. The measurements revealed significant compensation of the as-grown MOCVD HgCdTe with As on Te sites being the main defect, residual donor concentration of the order of (2–5)×1015 cm−3, and the presence of some unidentified defects.

Background donor concentration in HgCdTe

Abstract Studies of background donor concentration (BDC) in HgCdTe samples grown with different types of technology were performed with the use of ion milling as a means of eliminating the compensating acceptors. In bulk crystals, films grown with liquid phase epitaxy and films fabricated with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si substrates, BDC of the order of ~1014 cm-3 was revealed. Films grown with metal−organic chemical vapour deposition and with MBE on GaAs substrates showed BDC of the order of ~1015 cm-3. A possibility of assessing the BDC in acceptor (arsenic)−doped HgCdTe was demon− strated. In general, the studies showed the effectiveness of ion milling as a method of reducing electrical compensation in n−type MCT and as an excellent tool for assisting evaluation of BDC.

Photoluminescence of CdHgTe solid solutions subjected to low-energy ion treatment

The photoluminescence (PL) of CdHgTe solid solutions subjected to low-energy ion treatment is studied. A blue shift of the peaks in the PL spectra is observed immediately after ion treatment, which is attributed to the formation of a high concentration of donor defects and to the Burstein-Moss effect. The change in the shape of the PL spectra and, in particular, the disappearance of lines associated with transitions to acceptor states indicate that these defects are formed by the interaction of interstitial mercury atoms introduced into the sample during the course of treatment with impurity atoms. As the treatment is terminated, the electron concentration decreases due to the disintegration of defects and the blue shift disappears, but the shape of the spectra remains unchanged. This behavior of the PL spectra can be used for diagnostics of the defect-impurity structure of CdHgTe.

Luminescence studies of HgCdTe- and InAsSb-based quantum-well structures

Results of photoluminescence studies of single-quantum-well HgCdTe-based structures and electroluminescence studies of multiple-quantum-well InAsSb-based structures are reported. HgCdTe structures were grown with molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. InAsSb-based structures were grown with metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on InAs substrates. The common feature of luminescence spectra of all the structures was the presence of peaks with the energy much larger than that of calculated optical transitions between the first quantization levels for electrons and heavy holes. Possibility of observation of optical transitions between the quantization levels of electrons and first and/or second heavy and light hole levels is discussed in the paper in relation to the specifics of the electronic structure of the materials under consideration.