It was recalled that wide-bandgap II-VI semiconductors had great potential for various applications but were hindered by the difficulty of achieving efficient n-type and p-type doping. The origin and microscopic nature of the doping problem remained controversial. It was shown here that, for IIB-VI compounds or alloys, the common source of some very different doping-limiting mechanisms could be traced to the ratio of the covalent radii of the constituent atoms and the respective vacancies. This ratio then determined the ratio of the vacancy formation energies, and thence the ratio of their relative concentrations. The practical effect was that the n-type and p-type dopability of IIB-VI compounds, as well as their ternary alloys, could be predicted in a simple manner.

Common Origin of Doping-Limiting Mechanisms in IIB-VI Compounds and Alloys. U.V.Desnica, I.D.Desnica-Frankovic: Vacuum, 2001, 61[2-4], 361-5