The electrical properties of ZnTe under high pressure and moderate temperature

Abstract The resistivity of ZnTe powders has been measured under high pressure up to 29 GPa and temperature ranged from 303.0 to 403.0 K by using a diamond anvil cell. The resistivity changed discontinuously at 9.5 and 13.1 GPa, corresponding to the phase transitions from zinc blende to cinnabar and then to Cmcm structure. The decrease of activation energy by one order of magnitude indicates the deep‐to‐shallow transition of acceptor levels at 6.7 GPa. The resistivity decreases with temperature increasing indicates the semiconducting character of ZnTe in zinc blende phase. The resistivity of ZnTe in cinnabar phase decreases slightly with temperature increasing, indicating that this phase is a narrow‐gap semiconductor. After 19.1 GPa, the resistivity increases with temperature increasing, indicating the metallic character of Cmcm phase. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)