Spectroscopic investigation of impurity and intrinsic distortions of the crystallite structure in ZnTe ceramics during mechanical treatment

It is shown by IR spectroscopic investigation that ceramic zinc telluride contains water and carbon dioxide adsorbed on the surface of cavities between crystallites. It is found that hydroxyl groups occur on the surface of products as early as in the polishing stage, while the groups belonging to CO$_2$ are adsorbed during storage under normal conditions. It is also established by the photoluminescence method that mechanical fracture of ceramics manifests itself in the crystallite composition’s deviation from stoichiometry and narrowing of the band gap.