Abstract
Noble metal impurities have been observed to segregate toward the surface of p-type CdTe and heavily p-type (Hg,Cd)Te samples during room temperature aging in ambient room light. This behavior has not been observed in n-type CdTe or lightly p-type (Hg,Cd)Te. The photon-induced segregation is believed to involve the redistribution of positively charged impurity interstitials in a field generated by absorbed photons with energies greater than the band gap. A qualitative electromigration model based on the Dember effect and simple ionic conduction, has been used to explain the experimental results.