Investigation of Mercury‐Doped Cadmium Telluride for Cutting‐Edge Energy Technology

ABSTRACT Cadmium mercury telluride (CdHgTe) is a II–VI semiconductor with a tunable bandgap from 0 to 1.5 eV, ideal for infrared detection, photovoltaics and optoelectronics. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of CdHgTe using a wet chemical method with cadmium acetate, mercury chloride, and tellurium powder dissolved in ethylene glycol. By adjusting tellurium concentration, we precisely controlled the material's structural and optical properties. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a cubic crystal structure for CdHgTe. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) studies provided insights into the bonding and electronic transitions, revealing that the bandgap could be tuned from 1.5 to 3.3 eV, primarily due to TeO 2 formation. This tunability, combined with strong infrared absorption, highlights the material's potential for high‐efficiency solar cells and infrared detectors. Thin films of CdHgTe, produced via chemical bath deposition, exhibited excellent surface morphology and uniformity, crucial for device applications. These characteristics suggest that CdHgTe is a promising candidate for advanced energy devices, offering significant improvements in both efficiency and versatility.