The interaction of vacancies with 111In atoms was studied in Hg1-xCdxTe, where x was equal to 0.065, 0.21, 0.44 or 0.95, using perturbed angular correlation experiments. In Hg-rich compounds, Hg vacancies were created by heating in vacuum. In material with x = 0.21, it was known that InC-VC pairs (centres consisting of an In atom on a cation site, and a vacancy on a neighbouring cation site) were abundant after quenching from high temperatures. These defects were characterized by 2 perturbed angular correlation signals. The present data showed that the fractions of In atoms which were associated with these 2 frequencies varied with the x-value; depending upon whether one or two Hg atoms were nearest-neighbours to the Te atom that was bound to the In atom and the vacancy. The data were explained in terms of the polarizable point-ion model. In samples with x = 0.95, perturbed angular correlation signals were observed only when stable In was added; thus indicating that the presence of In created vacancies. Self-compensation via the above type of center predominated. In the case of a sample which was slowly cooled from 525C, a frequency predominated which was attributed to InC-VC pairs in which the vacancy was singly-charged. Alternatively, it could have been due to In-group I pairs. Other frequencies were attributed to InC-VC pairs having doubly-charged vacancies.

Perturbed Angular Correlation Studies of In-Vacancy Pairs in HgCdTe J.C.Austin, W.C.Hughes, B.K.Patnaik, R.Triboulet, M.L.Swanson: Journal of Applied Physics, 1999, 86[7], 3576-83