Structure and properties of CdTe ceramics produced through nanopowder compaction

Bulk specimens of highly dense CdTe ceramics were fabricated through compaction of vapor-deposited nanopowder. The microstructure, texture and other physical properties of the compacted CdTe were studied. The specimens were found to consist of grains of a certain crystallographic orientation. A two-component texture composed of 〈2 2 0〉 axial and {0 0 1}〈h k 0〉 components was observed. The experimental results give evidence that dynamic recrystallization occurs under compressive stress in the temperature range from 20 to 200 °C. The ceramic specimens show extremely high-specific electrical resistivity on the order of 1010 Ω cm. Their mechanical hardness is 1450 MPa, which is more that three times higher than the corresponding value of melt-grown CdTe. The compacted CdTe has rather high transmission in the wavelength range of 6-25 μm. These properties make this material interesting for the fabrication of infrared optical elements and for potential use as ionizing-radiation detectors.