Acceptor states in heteroepitaxial CdHgTe films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

Abstract

The photoluminescence method is used to study acceptor states in CdHgTe heteroepitaxial films (HEFs) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. A comparison of the photoluminescence spectra of HEFs grown on GaAs substrates (CdHgTe/GaAs) with the spectra of CdHgTe/Si HEFs demonstrates that acceptor states with energy depths of about 18 and 27 meV are specific to CdHgTe/GaAs HEFs. The possible nature of these states and its relation to the HEF synthesis conditions and, in particular, to the vacancy doping occurring under conditions of a mercury deficiency during the course of epitaxy and postgrowth processing are discussed.