Electrical properties of solid iodo mercurates resulting from the reaction of HgI2 with alcaline iodides

Potassium iodide solutions are currently used during the fabrication process of mercuric iodide based nuclear radiation detectors. However, KI treatment leaves the HgI2 surface covered with a residual compound (namely the potassium tri-iodo mercurate) which has a significant influence on the surface properties and stability of mercuric iodide devices and therefore on the detectors characteristics. Looking for other solutions to etch mercuric iodide, we found it interesting to investigate the electrical properties of the compounds which may form when etching HgI2 in NH4I, NaI, and RbI. For this purpose, solid iodo mercurates with the cations ammonium, sodium, and rubidium, have been prepared by reacting HgI2 with the solutions of interest. Study of the electrical properties of these samples and comparison with those of potassium tri-iodo mercurate ones, especially with respect to humidity, indicates noticeable stability differences in presence of water vapour. This could have interesting consequences on the surface cleaning of mercuric iodide.