INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF EPITAXIAL CDXHG1-XTE FILMS ON ELECTRICAL AND PHOTOELECTRIC PROPERTIES AFTER LASER IRRADIATION

A comprehensive investigation was made of photoelectric and electrical properties of epitaxial CdxHg1-xTe films with a cellular structure, w hich were irradiated with nanosecond ruby laser pulses characterized b y a wide range of energy densities. An increase in the photosensitivit y of the investigated samples was attributed to the gettering of elect rically active point defects by regions of weak misorientation. Change s in the electrical properties were due to a reduction in the number o f mercury atoms at interstices because of laser-stimulated desorption and segregation of mercury at sinks, and also because of changes in th e electron states at the boundaries of cells. Treatment of epitaxial f ilms with laser pulses characterized by an energy density above the me lting threshold increased the band gap in the surface layers and this was due to residual stresses and composition changes in these layers.