Diffusion in doped and undoped samples (figures 30 to 32) was studied by means of electron beam microanalysis. The interdiffusion coefficient of Hg and Cd in undoped couples was essentially independent of the deviation from stoichiometry. On the HgTe-rich side of the alloy system, this was attributed to the existence of a high thermal Frenkel disorder which was higher than the defect concentration which could be attained by varying the Hg partial pressure. Doping with In or Ag increased the interdiffusion coefficient over the entire composition range. In the case of In-doped HgTe and In-doped

CdTe or Ag-doped HgTe, this effect was attributed to the presence of metal vacancies. In Ag-doped CdTe, the effect was attributed to the influence of metal interstitials.

V.Leute, H.M.Schmidtke, W.Stratmann, W.Winking: Physica Status Solidi A, 1981, 67[1], 183-92

Figure 30

Activation Energy for Interdiffusion in HgxCd1-xTe

(a: Te-saturated, b: metal-saturated, c: 1mol%In dopant, d: 1mol%Ag dopant)