Intrinsic Carrier Concentration of Hg1−xCdxTe as a Function of x and T Using k·p Calculations

Abstract

The intrinsic carrier concentration, reduced Fermi energy, electron effective mass, and the Fermi energy with and without doping are calculated for Hg_1−xCd_xTe with x>0.16 and 50<T<350°K. The calculations take into account the nonparabolicity of the bands by using the k·p method (Kane model) to determine n and by using the most recent linear temperature dependence of the bandgap. By fitting the n_i curves calculated for nonparabolic bands to the expression for parabolic bands, the following approximation for the intrinsic carrier concentration was obtained: $$n_i{\text{=(1.093−0.296x+0.000442T)5.16(10}}^{14}{\mathrm{)(E}}_g{)}^{\text{3/4}}{\mathrm{(T)}}^{\text{3/2}}\exp {\mathrm{(-E}}_g\text{/2kT)}$$ .