High-Temperature Annealing of CdZnTe Detectors

Abstract

The electrical properties of CdZnTe(CZT) above the melting point of tellurium (Te) inclusions were determined during in situ annealing. The thermal annealing cycles of the CZT detectors were 490 degrees C, 530 degrees C, and 570 degrees C continuously, which were higher than the melting points of elemental Te and Te inclusions and lower than the sublimation temperature of CZT. Unexpectedly, the CZT detectors exhibited very low leakage current at room temperature after the thermal annealing cycles due to the formation of rectifying contacts. The activation energy of high-resistivity CZT was 0.81 eV indicating pinning of Fermi level nearly in the middle of bandgap. At room temperature, CZT detectors with rectifying contacts showed clearly the 59.5-keV gamma-ray peak of Am-241. Observed fluctuations of the leakage current at about 470 degrees C might have originated from a mixed conductivity of liquid and solid CZT due to the melting of Te inclusions.