Stoichiometry and doping in large gap compound semiconductors

Abstract

Current theoretical models on self-compensation in large gap semiconductors assume that intrinsic stoichiometric defects dominate and explain electrical properties quite satisfactorily without any contribution from impurities. Some recent results show on the contrary that impurities are in fact dominant at least at room temperature. The paper, starting from one particular material (ZnTe), is an attempt to understand the real physico-chemistry of self-compensation and the reasons for the success of simplified theories assuming the crystal to be very pure