The structure of liquid semiconductors.

By using the method of elastic neutron scattering, structure factors were measured for the chalcogens tellurium, selenium and sulphur in the liquid state. Partial structure factors were also obtained for the liquid semiconductors Cu2Te, CuTe and Ag2Te. By Fourier transforming these structure factors radial distribution functions (R.D.F's) were found. Structural models consisting of ionic bonding, covalent bonding and clusters were compared with the experimental data, and the interpretation was aided by the construction of computer models by a ' Monte-Carlo' method. It was concluded that the liquid semiconductors investigated have a complex structure with mainly covalent bonding; also that liquid selenium consists of chains of atoms and liquid tellurium has a network structure similar to that outlined by Cabane and Friedel (1971).