Stability and electronic properties of "4-8"-type ZnSnN$_2$ thin films free of spontaneous polarization for optoelectronic devices

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Fang, D. Q.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Fang, D. Q.
author_facet Fang, D. Q.
contents Ternary nitride ZnSnN$_2$ is a promising photovoltaic absorber material. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we investigate the stability and electronic properties of "4-8"-type ZnSnN$_2$ thin films. We find that below a certain thickness "4-8"-type thin films have lower total energy than polar films. For 4-layer ZnSnN$_2$ thin film, the Pna2$_1$/Pmc2$_1$ $\rightarrow$ 4-8 transition can spontaneously occur at finite temperatures. All "4-8"-type thin films studied are semiconducting and free of spontaneous polarization, the bandgaps of which can be tuned by the thickness of films, ranging from 1.4 eV to 1.8 eV. Furthermore, these films show light electron effective masses, and octet-rule-preserving disorder has insignificant effects on the electronic properties. Our results provide new insights into the structure of ZnSnN$_2$ in the thin film form and guidance for the experimental investigation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2310_10014
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Stability and electronic properties of "4-8"-type ZnSnN$_2$ thin films free of spontaneous polarization for optoelectronic devices
Fang, D. Q.
Materials Science
Ternary nitride ZnSnN$_2$ is a promising photovoltaic absorber material. In this work, using first-principles calculations, we investigate the stability and electronic properties of "4-8"-type ZnSnN$_2$ thin films. We find that below a certain thickness "4-8"-type thin films have lower total energy than polar films. For 4-layer ZnSnN$_2$ thin film, the Pna2$_1$/Pmc2$_1$ $\rightarrow$ 4-8 transition can spontaneously occur at finite temperatures. All "4-8"-type thin films studied are semiconducting and free of spontaneous polarization, the bandgaps of which can be tuned by the thickness of films, ranging from 1.4 eV to 1.8 eV. Furthermore, these films show light electron effective masses, and octet-rule-preserving disorder has insignificant effects on the electronic properties. Our results provide new insights into the structure of ZnSnN$_2$ in the thin film form and guidance for the experimental investigation.
title Stability and electronic properties of "4-8"-type ZnSnN$_2$ thin films free of spontaneous polarization for optoelectronic devices
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.10014