Variable temperature hall effect on p-Hg1−xCdxTe grown on CdTe and sapphire substrates by liquid phase epitaxy

Abstract

Variable temperature Hall effect measurements have been made down to 9–10K on p-type Hg1−xCdxTe grown by liquid phase epitaxy on both CdTe and sapphire substrates. Carrier freeze-out was usually observed throughout the measured temperature range. For most samples, the hole mobility was well-behaved and exhibited a maximum at ˜ 35K. Values of acceptor ionization energy EA and donor concentration ND were estimated from the data, using a model assuming significant compensation, which provided a good fit to the low temperature data. In addition, values of ND were also estimated from an analysis of the low temperature mobility using the hole effective mass as a parameter to provide reasonable agreement between the ND values calculated from the Hall coefficient and mobility data. The measured carrier concentration is a result of close compensation between stoichiometric acceptors and donors, with ND usually in the low-1017 cm−3 range. Average values of EA for as-grown, undoped x = 0.32 layers on CdTe and sapphire substrates are 7.4 and 6.6 meV, respectively. An activation energy of 0.84 meV was determined for a Cu-doped x = 0.32 layer that was annealed in Hg vapor to reduce the number of Hg vacancies. The average EA for undoped Hg-annealed x = 0.22 layers on CdTe substrates is 2.35 meV. Layers with x = 0.32 grown on sapphire substrates have average carrier concentrations of 2.92 (σ = 0.54) × 1016 cm−3, compared with 4.64 (θ = 1.26) × 1016 cm−3 for the same composition layers grown on CdTe substrates.