Electronic structure of ScN and YN: density-functional theory LDA and GW approximation calculations

Abstract

The desirable physical properties of hardness, high temperature stability, and conductivity make the early transition metal nitrides important materials for various technological applications. To learn more about the nature of these materials, the local-density approximation(LDA) and GW approximation i.e. combination of the Green function G and the screened Coulomb interaction W, have been performed. This paper investigates the bulk electronic and physical properties of early transition metal mononitrides, ScN and YN in the rocksalt structure. In this paper, the semicore electrons are regarded as valance electrons. ScN appears to be a semimetal, and YN is semiconductor with band gap of 0.142 eV within the LDA, but are in fact semiconductors with indirect band gaps of 1.244 and 0.544 eV respectively, as revealed by calculations performed using GW approximation.