Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe
Abstract Efficient p-type doping in CdTe has remained a critical challenge for decades, limiting the performance of CdTe-based semiconductor devices. Arsenic is a promising p-type dopant; however, reproducible doping with high concentration is difficult and carrier lifetime is low. We systematically...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04719-0 |
| _version_ | 1830286560264716288 |
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| author | Tursun Ablekim Santosh K. Swain Wan-Jian Yin Katherine Zaunbrecher James Burst Teresa M. Barnes Darius Kuciauskas Su-Huai Wei Kelvin G. Lynn |
| author_facet | Tursun Ablekim Santosh K. Swain Wan-Jian Yin Katherine Zaunbrecher James Burst Teresa M. Barnes Darius Kuciauskas Su-Huai Wei Kelvin G. Lynn |
| author_sort | Tursun Ablekim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Efficient p-type doping in CdTe has remained a critical challenge for decades, limiting the performance of CdTe-based semiconductor devices. Arsenic is a promising p-type dopant; however, reproducible doping with high concentration is difficult and carrier lifetime is low. We systematically studied defect structures in As-doped CdTe using high-purity single crystal wafers to investigate the mechanisms that limit p-type doping. Two As-doped CdTe with varying acceptor density and two undoped CdTe were grown in Cd-rich and Te-rich environments. The defect structures were investigated by thermoelectric-effect spectroscopy (TEES), and first-principles calculations were used for identifying and assigning the experimentally observed defects. Measurements revealed activation of As is very low in both As-doped samples with very short lifetimes indicating strong compensation and the presence of significant carrier trapping defects. Defect studies suggest two acceptors and one donor level were introduced by As doping with activation energies at ~88 meV, ~293 meV and ~377 meV. In particular, the peak shown at ~162 K in the TEES spectra is very prominent in both As-doped samples, indicating a signature of AX-center donors. The AX-centers are believed to be responsible for most of the compensation because of their low formation energy and very prominent peak intensity in TEES spectra. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T04:01:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf4d25f730ef4e0b8240744ebc1628f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T04:01:39Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf4d25f730ef4e0b8240744ebc1628f92022-12-21T20:36:40ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-07-01711910.1038/s41598-017-04719-0Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTeTursun Ablekim0Santosh K. Swain1Wan-Jian Yin2Katherine Zaunbrecher3James Burst4Teresa M. Barnes5Darius Kuciauskas6Su-Huai Wei7Kelvin G. Lynn8National Renewable Energy LaboratoryCenter for Materials Research, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State UniversityCollege of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow UniversityNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryBeijing Computational Science Research CenterCenter for Materials Research, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State UniversityAbstract Efficient p-type doping in CdTe has remained a critical challenge for decades, limiting the performance of CdTe-based semiconductor devices. Arsenic is a promising p-type dopant; however, reproducible doping with high concentration is difficult and carrier lifetime is low. We systematically studied defect structures in As-doped CdTe using high-purity single crystal wafers to investigate the mechanisms that limit p-type doping. Two As-doped CdTe with varying acceptor density and two undoped CdTe were grown in Cd-rich and Te-rich environments. The defect structures were investigated by thermoelectric-effect spectroscopy (TEES), and first-principles calculations were used for identifying and assigning the experimentally observed defects. Measurements revealed activation of As is very low in both As-doped samples with very short lifetimes indicating strong compensation and the presence of significant carrier trapping defects. Defect studies suggest two acceptors and one donor level were introduced by As doping with activation energies at ~88 meV, ~293 meV and ~377 meV. In particular, the peak shown at ~162 K in the TEES spectra is very prominent in both As-doped samples, indicating a signature of AX-center donors. The AX-centers are believed to be responsible for most of the compensation because of their low formation energy and very prominent peak intensity in TEES spectra.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04719-0 |
| spellingShingle | Tursun Ablekim Santosh K. Swain Wan-Jian Yin Katherine Zaunbrecher James Burst Teresa M. Barnes Darius Kuciauskas Su-Huai Wei Kelvin G. Lynn Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe Scientific Reports |
| title | Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe |
| title_full | Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe |
| title_fullStr | Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe |
| title_short | Self-compensation in arsenic doping of CdTe |
| title_sort | self compensation in arsenic doping of cdte |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04719-0 |
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