Temperature stability of the IBM-formed CdxHg1-xTe p-n structure

Abstract

The influence of thermal annealing on electrical properties of the p-n structures formed by ion beam milling (IBM) on usually vacancy doped CdxHg1-xTe single crystals with p(77K) equals 5.8 X 1015 cm-3 was investigated. After IBM of the initial samples the n-type layers were created with the thickness about 10 (mu) and electron concentration of the mane part of n-type layers 5 X 1014 cm-3. P-n structures were annealed on air at 85, 120 and 160 degrees C during 1, 2 and 4 hours. Degradation of the p-n structure after every annealing step was estimated on changes of the Hall coefficient magnetic field dependence. It was revealed that degradation of the p- n structure took place due to progressive thickness decreasing of n-layer through Hg passing to intersites and vacancy creation. The critical temperature during technology steps is equal about 100 degrees C.