CdTe Ceramics Based on Compression of Nanocrystal Powder

摘要

Wide-gap II-VI semiconductor crystalline materials are conventionally used in laser optics, light emitting devices, and nuclear detectors. The advances made in the studies of nanocrystals and in the associated technologies have created great interest in the design of semiconductor devices based on these new materials. The objectives of this work are to study the microstructure and the properties of the new material produced through CdTe nanopowder compression and to consider the prospects of its use in the design of ionizing-radiation detectors and in laser optics. Highly dense material produced of 7-10 nm CdTe particles under pressure of 20-600 MPa at temperatures from 20 to 200 C was analyzed using x-ray diffractometry, texture analysis; light and scanning electron microscopy, and optical spectrophotometry. The mechanical and electrical properties of the compacted material were measured and compared with similar characteristics of the conventionally grown single crystals. Phase transformation from metastable to stable crystal structure caused by deformation was observed in the material.