title: Photoconductivity in the chalcohalide semiconductor, SbSeI: a new candidate for hard radiation detection.
abstract: We investigated an antimony chalcohalide compound, SbSeI, as a potential semiconductor material for X-ray and γ-ray detection. SbSeI has a wide band gap of 1.70 eV with a density of 5.80 g/cm(3), and it crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pnma space group with a one-dimensional chain structure comprised of infinite zigzag chains of dimers [Sb2Se4I8]n running along the crystallographic b axis. In this study, we investigate conditions for vertical Bridgman crystal growth using combinations of the peak temperature and temperature gradients as well as translation rate set in a three-zone furnace. SbSeI samples grown at 495 °C peak temperature and 19 °C/cm temperature gradient with 2.5 mm/h translation rate produced a single phase of columnar needlelike crystals aligned along the translational direction of the growth. The ingot sample exhibited an n-type semiconductor with resistivity of ∼10(8) Ω·cm. Photoconductivity measurements on these specimens allowed us to determine mobility-lifetime (μτ) products for electron and hole carriers that were found to be of similar order of magnitude (∼10(-4) cm(2)/V). Further, the SbSeI ingot with well-aligned, one-dimensional columnar needlelike crystals shows an appreciable response of Ag Kα X-ray.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States.
authors.forename: Arief C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wibowo
authors.forename: Christos D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Malliakas
authors.forename: Zhifu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sebastian
authors.forename: Duck Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Bruce W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.forename: Mercouri G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kanatzidis
mesh_terms: D000965:Antimony / Q000737:chemistry*; D018011:Chalcogens / Q000737:chemistry*; D007454:Iodides / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008958:Models, Molecular; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D011851:Radioactivity; D012666:Semiconductors
chemical_list: D018011:Chalcogens; D007454:Iodides; D000965:Antimony