Recombination effects in narrow-gap semiconductors p-Hg1−xCdxTe

The recombination characteristics of p‐type crystals Hg1–xCdxTe (x=0.195; 0.20) in the temperature range 80 to 300K are investigated. The energetic positions of recombination centres, responsible for recombination in extrinsic temperature range (T ≦ 120 K) are determined from a comparison of experimental and calculated temperature dependences of the charge carrier lifetime. The peculiarities of Auger recombination in p‐type Hg1–xCdxTe are studied with respect to the material with n‐type conductivity in the intrinsic temperature range (T > 120K). In p‐HgCdTe the lifetime‐temperature dependence shifts towards higher temperatures with respect to the lifetime‐temperature characteristic observed for the intrinsic material. This is in good agreement with the calculation for a semiconductor with different effective masses of electrons and holes. The charge carrier lifetime dependences vs. the level of optical power at λ=10.6 μm in p‐HgCdTe are obtained which are characterized by a lifetime increases and subsequent saturation when the optical power increases. [Russian Text Ignored].