A radiotracer technique was used to measure Hg self-diffusion in bulk and liquid-phase epitaxial Hg1-xCdxTe. Samples with x-values of 0.16 to 0.23 were isothermally annealed at 300 to 400C, and Hg reservoirs which contained 203Hg were used as vapour sources. It was found to be possible to identify differing diffusion coefficients, D1 and D2, for near-surface and deeper components, respectively. In the case of bulk material which had been annealed at 400C under a saturated Hg pressure, D1 was equal to 2.0 x 10-12cm2/s and D2 was equal to 1.1 x 10-11cm2/s. The diffusion coefficients at 310C under a saturated Hg pressure were determined in both bulk and epitaxial material. Close agreement was found between the results; with an average value of 1.4 x 10-13cm2/s for D1. This was thought to be the first time that radiotracer results had been reported for epitaxial material.

N.Archer, H.Palfrey: Journal of Electronic Materials, 1991, 20[6], 419-24