Molecular beam epitaxy was used to prepare (111)B CdTe films and (111)B or (112)B HgCdTe films. The films were examined by using optical and transmission electron microscopy. The formation of micro-twins and dislocations in the films was observed. The HgCdTe films also contained complicated defects. The interaction of partial dislocations in the twinning plane resulted in the creation of threading dislocations. An increase in twin-boundary density led to an increase in the threading dislocation density of CdTe (111)B films. The existence of an elemental Te phase was possible during the preparation of Hg0.8Cd0.2Te film growth by molecular beam epitaxy. This, together with twinning, led to avalanche-type multiplication of structural defects.

I.V.Sabinina, A.K.Gutakovsky, J.G.Sidorov, S.A.Dvoretsky, V.D.Kuzmin: Journal of Crystal Growth, 1992, 117, 238-43