Method of forming stoichiometric II-VI compounds of high purity

This patent describes a method of forming stoichiometric cadmium telluride. It comprises: providing first and second separated chambers, each of the chambers having an inlet and an outlet; placing impure elemental cadmium in the first chamber and impure elemental tellurium in the second chamber; heating the first chamber to a temperature to volatilize the cadmium and the second chamber to volatilize the tellurium; passing water in a reducing ambient gas from the inlet to the outlet of each of the chambers whereby the water reacts with the volatilized impurity material in the impure cadmium and the impure tellurium to form hydrogen and a gas, the reducing ambient gas carrying volatilized cadmium, tellurium and gas formed in the reaction of water and the impurity material therewith; combining the water, reducing ambient gas and carried volatiles from the outlets to form cadmium telluride vapors and other vapors; and solidifying the cadmium telluride