Influence of Te film formed on the surface of CdTe crystals under laser irradiation on their electric and photoelectric properties. Imitation of the effects related to metastable defects

It has been shown that nanosecond-pulse ruby laser irradiation of CdTe crystals, the power density being lower than the melting threshold, leads to the formation of a thin (∼300 A) Te film on the surface. The dependence of the conductivity value of this film on the cooling conditions of the sample (in light or in dark), imitating a photochemical formation of sticking centers in CdTe, is observed. It is shown that the formation of the Te film is also related with an increase of equilibrium conductivity and photocurrent, residual conductivity, nonmonotonic dependence of equilibrium and photoconductivity on the number of laser pulses and unusual conductivity relaxation after the action of the laser pulse. The latter is due to photostimulated crystallization of the Te film