The thermal diffusivity alpha and conductivity k at room temperature o
f CdTe semiconductors having different crystalline qualities were dete
rmined using a photoacoustic technique. Thermal measurements obtained
for each sample were correlated with photoluminescence spectroscopic r
esults in order to associate the observed variation of alpha and k wit
h crystalline imperfections in CdTe. (C) 1994 American Institute of Ph
ysics.