Effects of passivation treatment on the surface stability in indium-doped Hg0.8Cd0.2Te epilayers grown on p-Cd0.96Zn0.04Te substrates

Passivation treatment on indium-doped Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te epitaxial layers grown on p-Cd_0.96Zn_0.04Te substrates by molecular beam epitaxy has been performed in order to improve the surface stability of the Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te layers. Room-temperature capacitance–voltage measurements clearly revealed metal-insulator–semiconductor (MIS) behavior for the Al/ZnS/passivated Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te layer/Cd_0.96Zn_0.04Te diodes. The fast state density and the fixed charge density of the Al/ZnS/passivated Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te/Cd_0.96Zn_0.04Te diode with a sulfur-treated Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te layer were smaller than those with a chemically oxidized Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te layer. The interface state density at the ZnS/sulfur-treated Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te interface were low at 10¹¹ eV^?1 cm^?2 at the middle of the Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te energy gap. These results indicate that the Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te epilayer is significantly passivated by sulfur treatment and that the passivated Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te layers can be used for Hg_1?xCd_xTe-based MIS diodes and MIS field-effect transistors.