II-VI Substrates for Research and Production 

UniversityWafer supplies II-VI semiconductor substrates and thin-film materials for photonics, infrared optics, laser technology, quantum devices, Bragg mirrors, photodetectors, and photovoltaic research. Popular II-VI materials include ZnSe, ZnS, CdS, CdSe, and CdTe, available for epitaxial growth, optical coatings, and advanced semiconductor research.

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II-VI Wafers for Bragg Mirror Research

A postdoc from a college of optics and photonics requested custom II-VI semiconductor thin films for a Bragg mirror structure on a transparent substrate.

Research Request:

The researcher needed a 150–200 nm semiconductor layer such as ZnSe, CdS, CdSe, or GaAs placed in the center of a dielectric stack for use in a Bragg mirror.

The first phase required one or two samples on a transparent substrate such as sapphire or glass. Preferred sample size was approximately 1 inch diameter, although 0.5 inch diameter samples were also acceptable.

For future development, the researcher planned to evaluate Bragg mirror structures on both sides of the transparent substrate.

Reference #266551 for specifications and pricing.

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What Are II-VI Semiconductor Materials?

II-VI semiconductor materials are crystalline compounds formed from elements in Group II (such as zinc, cadmium, and mercury) and Group VI (such as sulfur, selenium, and tellurium) of the periodic table. Their wide bandgaps, excellent optical transparency, and tunable electronic properties make them valuable for optoelectronics, infrared optics, photodetectors, laser systems, thin-film solar cells, and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) research.

The following are some of the most commonly used II-VI substrate materials for semiconductor research and production:

  1. Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) is an optical material with excellent transmission from the visible through the infrared spectrum. It is widely used for infrared windows, lenses, optical domes, and as a substrate for thin-film deposition.

    Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) infrared optical lens

  2. Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) offers high optical transmission and is commonly used in CO2 laser optics, infrared imaging systems, blue-green laser diodes, and high-power optical components.

  3. Zinc Telluride (ZnTe) is used in terahertz emitters, electro-optic devices, nonlinear optics, and photovoltaic research because of its favorable electronic and optical properties.

  4. Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) is a direct bandgap semiconductor frequently used as a window layer in thin-film solar cells, photodetectors, photoresistors, and optoelectronic devices.

  5. Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) has become one of the most important materials for commercial thin-film photovoltaic technology due to its high absorption coefficient and efficient solar energy conversion.

  6. Mercury Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe) is a tunable narrow-bandgap semiconductor used in infrared detectors, thermal imaging cameras, aerospace sensors, night vision systems, and scientific instrumentation.

    Research Inquiry:

    A Silicon MEMS-on-CMOS Platform researcher requested MBE-grown HgCdTe on CdTe, GaAs, or silicon substrates. The requested material could have any bandgap, diameter, or thickness depending on availability.

    Reference #96886 for specifications and pricing.

  7. Cadmium Selenide (CdSe) is widely used for photodetectors, quantum dots, nonlinear optics, Raman spectroscopy standards, and optoelectronic research.

    Research Inquiry:

    A PhD candidate requested a small piece of high-quality, single-crystal CdSe for use as a Raman spectroscopy standard. Only a small sample size was required while maintaining excellent crystal quality.

    Reference #156842 for specifications and pricing.

Why Researchers Choose II-VI Substrates

II-VI semiconductor materials provide excellent optical transparency, tunable bandgaps, high carrier mobility, and compatibility with advanced deposition techniques including Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), MOCVD, sputtering, and evaporation. These properties make them ideal for developing lasers, infrared detectors, photonic devices, Bragg mirrors, quantum technologies, solar cells, and next-generation semiconductor devices.

Related II-VI Semiconductor Resources