Diamondoids approach to electronic, structural, and vibrational properties of GeSi superlattice nanocrystals: a first-principles study

Abstract

Germanium silicide diamondoids are used to determine electronic, structural, and vibrational properties of GeSi superlattice nanocrystals and bulk as their building block limit. Density functional theory at the generalized gradient approximation level of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (PBE) with 6-31G(d) basis including polarization functions is used to investigate the electronic structure of these diamondoids. The investigated molecules and diamondoids range from GeSiH₆ to Ge₆₃Si₆₃H₉₂. The variation of the energy gap is shown from nearly 7 eV toward bulk value which is slightly higher than the average of Si and Ge energy gaps. Variations of bond lengths, tetrahedral, and dihedral angles as the number of atoms increases are shown taking into account the effect of shape fluctuations. Localized and delocalized electronic charge distribution and bonds for these molecules are discussed. Vibrational radial breathing mode (RBM) converges from its initial molecular value at 332 cm⁻¹ to its bulk limit at 0 cm⁻¹ (blue shift). Longitudinal optical-highest reduced mass mode (HRMM) converges from its initial molecular value 332 cm⁻¹ to experimental bulk limit at 420.7 cm⁻¹ (red shift). Hydrogen vibrational modes are nearly constant in their frequencies as the size of diamondoids increases in contrast with lower frequency Ge–Si vibrational modes. GeSi diamondoids can be identified from surface hydrogen vibrational modes fingerprint, while the size of these diamondoids can be identified from Ge–Si vibrational modes.