SURFACE-MORPHOLOGY STUDY ON CDZNTE SINGLE-CRYSTALS BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY

The study of the crystal surface morphology of CdZnTe is important for the understanding of the fundamentals of crystal growth in order to i mprove the crystal quality which is essential in applications such as substrates for epitaxy or performance of devices, i.e., room temperatu re nuclear spectrometers. We present here a first atomic force microsc opy study on CdZnTe. Cleaved (110) surfaces were imaged in the ambient and an atomic layer step structure was revealed. The effects of therm al annealing on the atomic steps together with Te precipitation along these steps are discussed in terms of deformation due to stress relief and the diffusion of tellurium precipitates.