Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
We discuss defect engineering strategies in radiation detector materials. The goal is to increase resistivity by defect-induced Fermi level pinning without causing defect-induced reductions in the carrier drifting length. We show calculated properties of various intrinsic defects and impurities in CdTe. We suggest that the defect complex of a hydrogen atom and an isovalent impurity on an anion site may be an excellent candidate in many semiconductors for Fermi level pinning without carrier trapping.