The unusual influence of intrinsic defects on the diffusion of Ag and Cu in CdTe

The diffusion of Ag and Cu in CdTe was investigated using the radiotracers Ag-111 and Cu-67. The diffusion properties are similar for both dopants and are essentially determined by diffusion of intrinsic defects in the crystal. Both dopants show up interstitial fractions which are incorporated substitutionally if Cd vacancies are present. The resulting unusual diffusion profiles map the actual distribution of the intrinsic defects and indicate the chemical self diffusion in CdTe. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.