Experimental determination of tie-lines in the Hg-Cd-Te system

Starting with powdered Hg_1−xCd_xTe, several tie-lines at 500 and 560°C were established using an energy dispersive spectrometer on a scanning electron microscope for the quantitative analysis. After holding at 500 or 560°C for time periods based upon the powder size and the published interdiffusion constant, then water quenching to room temperature, the primary grains were found to be uniform in composition and covered with a 5-6 μ layer of HgTe or low x Hg_1−xCd_xTe. The primary grain and overall compositions establish directions for tie-lines that are in good agreement with published experimental and theoreti-cal results.