Study of the trapping states in ZnS single crystals grown from gallium melt

The trapping levels in zinc sulphide single crystals grown from gallium melt have been investigated using thermoluminescence techniques. The observed peak at 175° K consists of two overlapping components at 173 and 200° K respectively. Thermal activation energies and frequency factors were calculated for both traps. The dependence of glow curve shape on excitation conditions is caused by the retrapping by non-filled 200° K traps of electrons freed from 173° K traps in the course of the glow curve run. In addition to the results on “pure” crystals, measurements were made on samples grown with chlorine, oxygen and copper impurities, as well. Although no positive identification of the chemical nature of the 173 and 200° K trapping centers has been possible, we find that our results are not inconsistent with a previously suggested model in which the traps are identified as complex defects. Comparison is also made with trap spectra observed earlier in gallium-doped zinc sulphide samples prepared by the usual methods.