Partial Pressures over HgTe ‐ CdTe Solid Solutions: I . Calibration Experiments and Results for

Calibration experiments are reported that enable the partial pressures of Hg, , and Cd to be calculated from measurements of the optical absorbance between 220 and 700 nm of the vapor phase. In particular, the self‐broadening and Hg‐broadening coefficients of the 228.7 and 325.7 Cd lines are established. The pressure ranges are between 10 −2 and 32 atm for Hg, 10 −4 and 10 −2 atm for , and 10 −7 and 10 −5 atm for Cd. These calibrations are used in a study of the solid solution containing to determine all three partial pressures along the three‐phase curve, the chemical potentials of and components, and the Gibbs free enthalpy of formation. Density and lattice parameter as a function of content are also reported.