Deep levels and compensation in γ-irradiated CdZnTe

The behavior of detector-grade Cd0.9Zn0.1Te in a radiation-hostile environment has been investigated by studying the effects on the material defective states induced by γ irradiation. The detector performance is strongly affected by the presence of charge-trapping centers which may also intervene in the material compensation properties. We have investigated by photoinduced current transient spectroscopy analyses the evolution with increasing irradiation dose of the deep levels both present in the as-grown material and induced by the ionizing radiation. A significant correlation between the material resistivity and some deep levels behavior has been observed. We have compared this trend to the results obtained from γ-irradiated CdTe:Cl to better understand the role deep traps play in the compensation process of II–VI materials.