The structural and electrical properties of (100) Hg1-xCdxTe epilayers, grown by means of molecular beam epitaxy, were systematically investigated for various Hg/Te flux ratios. It was found that the hillock density, electron concentration, and electron mobility depended strongly upon the Hg/Te flux ratio. A minimum in the hillock density correlated well with the highest mobilities and the lowest concentrations. It was recalled that it was well known that electrical properties were strongly affected by structural defects. Defects, such as twins and defects due to non-stoichiometry, could be largely reduced by optimizing the Hg/Te flux ratio. It was shown that an optimum Hg/Te flux ratio existed within a narrow range (270 to 360) at a growth temperature of 180C. This contrasted with the larger range of Hg/Te flux ratios over which monocrystalline growth could be maintained. The difficulties which were encountered in determining the x-value from normal transmission curves, due to the Burstein-Moss shift, were considered. In order to overcome these difficulties, the x-values of the epilayers were also deduced from other parameters. This revealed small, but significant, discrepancies with respect to published data. Extrinsic As doping, using the  doping technique, produced an atomic sheet density of 1.2 x 1013/cm2.

L.He, C.R.Becker, R.N.Bicknell-Tassius, S.Scholl, G.Landwehr: Journal of Applied Physics, 1993, 73[7], 3305-12