Molecular-beam epitaxy of mercury-cadmium-telluride solid solutions on alternative substrates

Growth processes were considered for heteroepitaxial structures based on a mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) solid solution deposited on GaAs and Si alternative substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. Physical and chemical processes of growth and defect-generation mechanisms were studied for CdZnTe epitaxy on atomically clean singular and vicinal surfaces of gallium-arsenide substrates and CdHgTe films on CdZnTe/GaAs surfaces. ZnTe single-crystalline films were grown on silicon substrates. Methods for reducing the content of defects in CdZnTe/GaAs and CdHgTe films were developed. Equipment for molecular-beam epitaxy was designed for growing the heteroepitaxial structures on large-diameter substrates with a highly uniform composition over the area and their control in situ. Heteroepitaxial MCT layers with excellent electrical parameters were grown on GaAs by molecular-beam epitaxy. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".