We have studied a two-component substitutional solid solution based on silicon and gallium nitride. GaN is a wide-gap semiconductor with a band gap Eg = 3.4 eV at room temperature, while silicon has the band gap Eg = 1.1 eV. To assess the possibility of a solid solution forming based on GaN and Si2, we use the rule of generalized moments [4], according to which, a decrease of the absolute value of the difference between the generalized moments of ions, atoms, or molecules of solution-forming substances, leads to an increase in their mutual solubility:
Table 1. Generalized molecular moments and band gap of III-V binary compounds and elementary semiconductors
Chemical formula of semicondutors
Generalized moments of molecules, m∙102, C/m
Eg, eV
BN
137.8
5
AlN
114.6
4.9
GaN
109.4
3.4
InN
99.5
0.64
BP
119.9
6
AlP
96.7
2.45
GaP
91.5
2.27
InP
81.6
1.34
Bas
114.7
3.0
AlAs
91.4
2.16
GaAs
86.3
1.43
InAs
76.4
0.35
BSb
85.7
2.60
AlSb
62.5
1.58
GaSb
57.3
0.72
InSb
47.4
0.18
Si2
104.0
1.12
Ge2
78.3
0,67
Sn2
49.5
0.08
αSiC
120.5
3
where c′ and c″ are the mole fractions of the dissolved component in the solid () and liquid () phases, and are the average values of the potentials of molecular fields in the phases () and (), m and m0 are the generalized moments of the solute and solvent, respectively, kis the Boltzmann constant, Т is the absolute temperature, V is the effective volume of the dissolved component. In exp. (1), the exponent is always negative and, therefore, for the c′ increase, there should be a decrease of generalized moments difference m m0.
To estimate the generalized moment of atoms, it was used an expression that takes into account the covalent radius, the shell structure of the atom, and the effective nuclear charge [4]:
where N is the ordinal number of the element in the periodic system of elements, is the screening coefficient, riis the crystallographic radius of the ion, ао is the Bohr radius, n* is the effective principal quantum number. As could be seen from exp. (2), the potential of an ion or atom on its surface with radius ri consists of the sum of potentials created by a nucleus with an effective charge (N - )e and internal electron shells. The screening coefficient and, consequently, the value of m*, determined by exp. (2), depends on the type of the considered subshell (s, p, d, f, …), even for the same value of the principal quantum number n, which is probably should be reflected in the physical and chemical properties of the elements. m* expresses the energy characteristic of an atom during its action with an external field and intermolecular interaction.
The state of the molecules of substances IV-IV, III-V and II-VI in a solution-melt differs little from its molten state. Therefore, during consideration of these molecules solubility in metallic solvents under the conditions of the existence of liquid and solid solutions, it is necessary to take into account the existence of molecules of the AB type that have retained a covalent bond between atoms A and B. Considering these circumstances, the energy characteristic of the molecules of binary compounds III-V in liquid solutions is taken potential on the surface of a sphere with radius R and effective charge Z*∙ q, and by analogy with exp. (2), and so represents the generalized moment of the III-V molecule in the following form:
where Z*= (A – γ)III + (A – γ)V – 0.35, and R = rIII + rV (4)