Self-Compensation-Limited Conductivity in Binary Semiconductors. IV.n−ZnxCd1−xTe

The electrical conductivity of heavily Al-doped ${\mathrm{Zn}}_x{\mathrm{Cd}}_{1-x}\mathrm{Te}$ has been studied. The sharp transition expected from theory in the conductivity as a function of $x$ is confirmed at a value of $x=0.69\mathrm{}$. Above this value only high-resistivity material is obtainable which becomes high-resistivity $p$ type for $x$ above ≈0.75. The fact that the transition from low to high resistivity as a function of $x$ is not nearly so sharp as expected from the theory is attributed to the spread in vacancy sizes and hence energy levels of the compensating vacancies that one expects in such an alloy system; pairing effects may also play a role.