Cadmium tellutide etched surfaces

Studies of etched surfaces of single-crystal cadmium telluride (CdTe) are presented. A CdTe-electrolyte system is used for electrical measurements. The possibility of carrying out electrochemical processes to alter the etched surface is demonstrated. Auger electron spectroscopy and electron loss spectroscopy depth profiles are obtained for the etched and electrochemically treated CdTe surfaces. Disturbed layers whose stoichiometry varies with depth differently for p- and n-type CdTe were detected on the surfaces.

Precise interpretation of the data is quite complex, but the model for a “nonequilibrium metal/insulator/semiconductor” structure is adopted to explain the elimination of the “pinning” effect with a reduction in the surface layer thickness.