Deformation behavior of cadmium telluride stressed at elevated temperatures

CdTe crystals were uniaxially compressed along several crystallographic axes at temperatures from 773 to 1353 K. The applied stress ranged from 14 to 74% of the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) measured in the authors' laboratory. The deformed specimens were annealed without applying stress at temperatures from 573 to 1073 K. No twins were observed after the above operations. Dense slip bands were observed on most of the compressed specimens. Secondary slip systems were activated in some experiments. CdTe crystals were sheared along {111}<112> at 1073 K with a load of 40% CRSS. Slip bands, but no twins, were observed. Synchrotron x-ray topography was used to study in situ the effect of stress on crystal deformation. CdTe specimens were uniaxially stressed in tension along <112> at 293 to 673 K. When the load reached ~50% of the CRSS, the topograph began to distort, indicating the beginning of plastic deformation. No twins were observed on the stressed specimens.