Defects in chemical vapor deposited (Cd,Hg)Te on (100)CdTe structures were investigated by using chemical etching, wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray rocking curve, and scanning electron microscopic methods. The results indicated that the origin and spatial distribution of misfit dislocations could be attributed to lattice parameter misfit and to interdiffusion between the substrate and the epitaxial layer. It was suggested that Hg interdiffusion along the [¯100] direction was enhanced by dislocation channels and other defect cores along or near to this direction, due to defects on the original surface of the CdTe substrate. The results indicated that sub-grain boundaries in (Cd,Hg)Te were caused by slight misorientations of the lattices, by polygonization of the defects during epitaxial layer growth, and by propagation of sub-grain boundaries which existed in the CdTe substrate.

Y.R.Ge, H.Wiedemeier: Journal of Electronic Materials, 1994, 23[11], 1221-7