Microhardness H of Cd 1−x Zn x Te bulk crystals (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) was investigated by the Vickers pyramid indentation. The H (x ) curve has a pronounced peak at x ≈ 0.75. In order to investigate a supposed phase separation, samples were annealed at 503 K, 558 K and 621 K for four weeks and at 896 K for one week under suitable partial vapour pressures. In all of them, neither the hardness was essentially altered nor any additional phases, except the solid solution, were found by x-ray analysis and electron diffraction. Nevertheless, the occurrence of nanometer-size clusters of either different structural phases or chemical compositions cannot be excluded.
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