SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS

Electronic structures and phase transition characters of β-, P61-, P62- and δ-Si3N4 under extreme conditions: a density functional theory study

Dong Chen, Yuping Cang and Yongsong Luo

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Dong Chen, E-mail: chchendong2010@163.com

PDF

Abstract: This paper describes the results of structural, electronic and elastic properties of silicon nitride (in its high-pressure P61 and P62 phases) through the first-principles calculation combined with an ultra-soft pseudo-potential. The computed equilibrium lattice constants agree well with the experimental data and the theoretical results. The strongest chemical bond (N--Si bond) shows a covalent nature with a little weaker ionic character. P61-Si3N4 is more stable than P62-Si3N4 due mainly to the fact that the shorter N--Si bond in the P61 phase allows stronger electron hybridizations. We have also predicted the phase stability of Si3N4 using the quasi-harmonic approximation, in which the lattice vibration and phonon effect are both considered. The results show that the β → P61 phase transition is very likely to occur at 42.9 GPa and 300 K. The reason why the β → P61 → δ phase transitions had never been observed is also discussed.

Key words: phase transitionbond lengthselastic constantsdensity functional theory



[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
[23]
[24]
[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
[30]
[31]
[32]
[33]
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
Fig. 1.  Possible transition paths among the Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$ polymorphs.

Fig. 2.  (a) Total DOS of P61- and P62-Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$; (b) partial DOS of Si atoms for s-state and (c) p-state; (d) the same as (b), but for N atoms; and (e) the same as (c), but for N atoms. The dashed line corresponds to P62-Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$ and the solid line corresponds to P61-Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$.

Fig. 3.  (a) The Gibbs free energy $G$ as functions of pressure at 300 K. (b) The pressure dependences of $G$ for P61- and $\delta$-Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$ at 300 K. (c) The phase boundary of the P61 $\to$ $\delta$ transition.

Table 1.   Calculated lattice constants $a$, $c$ (nm), elastic constants $C_{\rm ij}$ (GPa) and bulk modulus $B$ (GPa) of the $\beta$, P61, P62 and $\delta$ phases.

DownLoad: CSV

Table 2.   Average bond length, Mulliken population and BOP$^{\rm s}$ of silicon nitride.

DownLoad: CSV
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
[23]
[24]
[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
[30]
[31]
[32]
[33]
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
  • Search

    Advanced Search >>

    GET CITATION

    shu

    Export: BibTex EndNote

    Article Metrics

    Article views: 2405 Times PDF downloads: 11 Times Cited by: 0 Times

    History

    Received: 05 July 2014 Revised: Online: Published: 01 February 2015

    Catalog

      Email This Article

      User name:
      Email:*请输入正确邮箱
      Code:*验证码错误
      Dong Chen, Yuping Cang, Yongsong Luo. Electronic structures and phase transition characters of β-, P61-, P62- and δ-Si3N4 under extreme conditions: a density functional theory study[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2015, 36(2): 023003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/2/023003 D Chen, Y P Cang, Y S Luo. Electronic structures and phase transition characters of β-, P61-, P62- and δ-Si3N4 under extreme conditions: a density functional theory study[J]. J. Semicond., 2015, 36(2): 023003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/2/023003.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Dong Chen, Yuping Cang, Yongsong Luo. Electronic structures and phase transition characters of β-, P61-, P62- and δ-Si3N4 under extreme conditions: a density functional theory study[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2015, 36(2): 023003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/2/023003

      D Chen, Y P Cang, Y S Luo. Electronic structures and phase transition characters of β-, P61-, P62- and δ-Si3N4 under extreme conditions: a density functional theory study[J]. J. Semicond., 2015, 36(2): 023003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/2/023003.
      Export: BibTex EndNote

      Electronic structures and phase transition characters of β-, P61-, P62- and δ-Si3N4 under extreme conditions: a density functional theory study

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/2/023003
      Funds:

      Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. U1204501, 11304141, 11105115, 61475132, 11475143).

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: E-mail: chchendong2010@163.com
      • Received Date: 2014-07-05
      • Accepted Date: 2014-08-19
      • Published Date: 2015-01-25

      Catalog

        /

        DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
        Return
        Return