Iodine-containing polishing etchants were tested on CdTe and CdZnTe surfaces with different orientations. The nature of the chemical dissolution of CdTe with (111)A, (111)B, (110), and (100) orientations in the I2-methanol solution was studied.
It was established that this dissolution is diffusion controlled. The study of the chemical composition and structure of the (211)B CdZnTe surfaces etched under different conditions was carried out.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements showed that a stoichiometric surface was achieved after short heating of the etched surface in vacuum.