Junqin Zhang

Novel silicon allotropes: Stability, mechanical, and electronic properties

One quasi-direct gap phase (Amm2) and three indirect gap phases (C2/m-16, C2/m-20, and I-4) of silicon allotropes are proposed. The detailed theoretical study on the structure, density of states, elastic properties, sound velocities, and Debye temperature of these four phases is carried out by using first principles calculations. The elastic constants of these four phases are calculated by strain-stress method. The elastic constants and the phonon calculations manifest all novel silicon allotropes in this paper are mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient condition. The B/G values indicate that these four phases of silicon are brittle materials at ambient pressure. The anisotropy properties show that C2/m-20 phase exhibits a larger anisotropy in its elastic modulus, shear elastic anisotropic factors, and several anisotropic indices than others. We have found that the Debye temperature of the four novel silicon allotropes gradually reduces in the order of C2/m-20 > Amm2 > C2/m-16 > I-4 at ambient pressure.

Mechanical and Electronic Properties of P42/mnm Silicon Carbides

Abstract Two new phases of Si8C4 and Si4C8 with the P42/mnm symmetry are proposed. Using first principles calculations based on density functional theory, the structural, elastic, and electronic properties of Si8C4 and Si4C8 are studied systematically. Both Si8C4 and Si4C8 are proved to be mechanically and dynamically stable. The elastic anisotropies of Si8C4 and Si4C8 are studied in detail. Electronic structure calculations show that Si8C4 and Si4C8 are indirect semiconductors with the band gap of 0.74 and 0.15 eV, respectively.

Si96: A New Silicon Allotrope with Interesting Physical Properties

The structural mechanical properties and electronic properties of a new silicon allotrope Si96 are investigated at ambient pressure by using a first-principles calculation method with the ultrasoft pseudopotential scheme in the framework of generalized gradient approximation. The elastic constants and phonon calculations reveal that Si96 is mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient pressure. The conduction band minimum and valence band maximum of Si96 are at the R and G point, which indicates that Si96 is an indirect band gap semiconductor. The anisotropic calculations show that Si96 exhibits a smaller anisotropy than diamond Si in terms of Young’s modulus, the percentage of elastic anisotropy for bulk modulus and shear modulus, and the universal anisotropic index AU. Interestingly, most silicon allotropes exhibit brittle behavior, in contrast to the previously proposed ductile behavior. The void framework, low density, and nanotube structure make Si96 quite attractive for applications such as hydrogen storage and electronic devices that work at extreme conditions, and there are potential applications in Li-battery anode materials.

Stability, elastic anisotropy, and electronic properties of Ca2C3 *

The systematic investigations of the mechanical, elastic, and electronic properties, and stability of the newly synthesized monoclinic C2/m-Ca2C3 are performed, based on the first-principles calculations. Ca2C3 is found to be mechanically and dynamically stable only from 0 GPa to 24 GPa. The elastic anisotropy studies show that Ca2C3 exhibits the elastic anisotropy increasing with the augment of pressure. Furthermore, using the HSE06 hybrid functional, the electronic properties of Ca2C3 under pressure are calculated. The structure can be regarded as a quasi-direct band gap semiconductor, and the pressure-induced direct-indirect band gap transition is studied in detail.

First-principles study on mechanical and elastic properties of BxAl1-xP alloys

Based on density functional theory calculations, systematic calculations of the structural properties, elastic anisotropy and mechanical properties of boron alloying aluminum phosphide (BxAl1-xP) ternary mixed crystal have been presented. The results of the lattice parameters, band gaps, elastic constants and elastic modulus accord with the experimental and others published data well. The band structure which is described by CASTEP method indicates they are direct gap semiconductors for the composition x = 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75. Beyond that, we studied the Debye temperatures together with the acoustic velocities for all the BxAl1-xP alloys using the obtained elastic modulus. Finally, we depicted the three dimensional surface constructions to explain the elastic anisotropy using several calculated different anisotropic indexes in our work.

A first principle calculation of anisotropic elastic, mechanical and electronic properties of TiB

The structural, mechanical and electronic properties of the NaCl-type structure TiB are theoretically calculated based on the first principles. The density of states of TiB shows obvious density peaks at -0.70eV. Furthermore, there exists a pseudogap at 0.71eV to the right of the Fermi level. The calculated structural and mechanical parameters (i.e., bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and universal elastic anisotropy index) were in good agreement both with the previously reported experimental values and theoretical results at zero pressure. The mechanical stability criterion proves that TiB at zero pressure is mechanistically stable and exhibits ductility. The universal anisotropic index and the 3D graphics of Young’s modulus are also given in this paper, which indicates that TiB is anisotropy under zero pressure. Moreover, the effects of applied pressures on the structural, mechanical and anisotropic elastic of TiB were studied in the range from 0 to 100GPa. It was found that d...

The fabrication and research Of 4H-Sic Schottky metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet photodetectors

The fabrication and characterization of 4H-SiC Schottky metal-semiconductor-metal(MSM) photodetectors are reported in this paper. The current-voltage(I-V), capacitance-voltage(C-V) and spectral response characterization of the photodetectors are measured at room temperature. The dark current is 1.24 × 10-8A at 4V bias, and the average capacitance is 82.66pF at 0-5V voltage range. The spectral response range is from 250nm to 350 nm wavelength, and the highest responsivity appears at the wavelength of 280 nm. The results indicate that the 4H-SiC photodetectors are visible-blind.