Semi-insulating CdTe with a minimized deep-level doping

The possibility to prepare semi-insulating CdTe with a deep-level doping below the limit 1013 cm−3 demanded in detector industry is studied theoretically within quasi-chemical formalism. We show that proper thermal treatment, including low temperature (ca 200°C) dwell, allows fulfillment of this demand also in 7N or less purity materials. The procedure is demonstrated in Te-rich CdTe doped with a shallow donor. Its principle is based on enhanced defect selfcompensation, which affords at sufficiently low temperature extremely high compensation of shallow defects. New high-temperature transport data are used to refine on previous native defect properties for the modeling. The analysis of diffusion rates at lowered temperature approves the model for a real-time experimental verification.