The availability of high sensitivity and resolution infrared detectors for the army is currently limited by the production techniques now used for creating epitaxial layers of mercury - cadmium - telluride. In particular, it is important to reduce the temperature at which the epitaxy occurs, and there is data that this can be accomplished through the use of broad-band ultraviolet radiation. Phase i * of this effort is aimed at demonstrating the technical feasibility of depositing acceptable films of mercury telluride on cadmium telluride substrates at high rates and at low temperatures by photodissociation of organometallic compounds, using proprietary electrodeless ultraviolet sources. A reaction chamber will be used which will allow us to produce both reactions in the gas phase and on the surface of the substrate. The use of two uv lamps with optimized spectral outputs should result in suitably high deposition rates at low temperatures.
