Observation, morphology evolution and elimination of Te inclusions in CdZnTe:In single crystals

In this paper, three typical kinds of Te inclusions were observed in indium-doped CdZnTe (CZT:In) crystals. Characterizations revealed that the size of these Te inclusions was 10-30 μm. They are homogeneously distributed in CZT:In crystals without defects such as twin crystal and sub-grain boundary, whereas they are inhomogeneously distributed in CZT crystals without these defects. Moreover, the mechanism of morphology evolution of Te inclusions was proposed according to annealing experiments. Tetrahedron Te inclusions preferentially formed during growth, to which hexagonal Te inclusions transformed. Near-hexagonal Te inclusions were the intermediate shape. All kinds of Te inclusions could be eliminated by post-growth annealing under Cd/Zn atmosphere.