Plastic bending of CdxHg1?xTe

Abstract

Preliminary results are reported of three-point plastic bending tests on Cd x Hg1−x Te single crystal samples, for an x value of about 0.2, conducted in air at strain rates of the order of 10−5 sec−1, and at temperatures in the range 303 K (30° C) to 363 K (90° C) (in the region of 0.35T m 0 , where T m 0 is the absolute melting point). Single crystal samples were cut from polycrystalline ingots, and the orientation, although measured in each case, was not consistent from sample to sample, being determined by the available grain shape. The stress-strain curves resemble those found for Group IV and III–V semiconductors. They display a yield drop, followed by a region of zero work hardening. All tests were stopped in this region, and in no case did the overall glide strain exceed 3%. The upper and lower yield stresses (outer fibre glide stress values) varied from 16 MN m−2 and 10 MN m−2, respectively, at 363 K (90° C) to 24 MN m−2 and 17 MN m−2, respectively, at 303 K (30° C).