Investigation of iodine as a donor in MBE grown Hg1−xCdxTe

Abstract

N-type Hg1−xCdxTe layers with x values of 0.3 and 0.7 have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy using iodine in the form of CdI2 as a dopant. Carrier concentrations up to 1.1 × 1018 cm−3 have been achieved for x = 0.7 and up to 7.6 × 1017 cm−3 for x=0.3. The best low temperature mobilities are 460 cm2/(Vs) and 1.2 × 105 cm2/(Vs) for x=0.7 and x=0.3, respectively. Using CdI2 as the dopant modulation doped HgTe quantum well structures have been grown. These structures display very pronounced Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and quantum Hall plateaus. Electron densities in the 2D electron gas in the HgTe quantum well could be varied from 1.9 × 1011 cm−2 up to 1.4 × 1012 cm−2 by adjusting the thicknesses of the spacer and doped layer. Typical mobilities of the 2D electron gas are of the order of 5.0 × 104 cm2/(Vs) with the highest value being 7.8 × 104 cm2/(Vs).