Electrical Properties and the Solid-Vapor Equilibrium of Lead Sulfide

Abstract

Natural PbS crystals were exposed to various pressures of sulfur-vapor near 500\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and then quenched. Calculations based on the penetration of $p\ensuremath{-}n$ junctions gave an interdiffusion constant of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec at 550\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient and resistivity for several treated crystals was determined. A forbidden energy gap of 0.37\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01 ev and an electron to hole mobility ratio of 1.4 was obtained.