Electronic processes in CdIn$_{2}$Te$_{4}$ crystals

The results of investigations of electrical, optical, and photoelectric properties of CdIn$_{2}$Te$_{4}$ crystals, which were grown by the Bridgman method are presented. It is shown that electrical conductivity is determined mainly by electrons with the effective mass $m_n$ = 0.44 $m_0$ and the mobility 120–140 cm$^2$/(V s), which weakly depends on temperature. CdIn$_{2}$Te$_{4}$ behaves as a partially compensated semiconductor with the donor-center ionization energy $E_d$ = 0.38 eV and the compensation level $K=N_a/N_d$ = 0.36. The absorption-coefficient spectra at the energy $h\nu<E_g$ = 1.27 eV are subject to the Urbach rule with a typical energy of 18–25 meV. The photoconductivity depends on the sample thickness. The diffusion length, the charge-carrier lifetime, and the surface-recombination rate are determined from the photoconductivity spectra.