Crystal Size Dependence of the Photoplastic Effect in CdTe

Abstract

The increment of the flow stress with illumination of light, Δτ, in single crystals of n-CdTe has been measured as a function of the specimen thickness, and Δτ was found to be reduced drastically below a critical thickness of ∼0.2 mm. This fact strongly suggests that the cause of the increment of flow stress is a light-induced shortening of the mean free path of multiplied dislocations, since the increment should disappear when the specimen size becomes smaller that the mean free path of the dislocations in illuminated specimens.