Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations

Abstract Ultra‐wide bandgap (UWBG) materials such as AlN and BN hold great promise for future power electronics due to their exceptional properties. They exhibit large bandgaps, high breakdown fields, high thermal conductivity, and high mechanical strengths. AlN and BN have been extensively research...

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Main Authors: Cody L. Milne, Tathagata Biswas, Arunima K. Singh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2025-01-01
Series:Advanced Electronic Materials
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400549
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author Cody L. Milne
Tathagata Biswas
Arunima K. Singh
author_facet Cody L. Milne
Tathagata Biswas
Arunima K. Singh
author_sort Cody L. Milne
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Ultra‐wide bandgap (UWBG) materials such as AlN and BN hold great promise for future power electronics due to their exceptional properties. They exhibit large bandgaps, high breakdown fields, high thermal conductivity, and high mechanical strengths. AlN and BN have been extensively researched, however, their alloys, BxAl1−xN, are much less studied despite their ability to offer tunable properties by adjusting x. In this article, the electronic properties of 17 recently predicted ground states of BxAl1−xN in the x = 0 − 1 range are predicted using first‐principles density functional theory and many‐body perturbation theory within GW approximation. All the BxAl1−xN structures are found to be UWBG materials and have bandgaps that vary linearly from that of wurtzite‐phase (w) AlN (6.19 eV) to that of w‐BN (7.47 eV). The bandstructures of BxAl1−xN show that a direct‐to‐indirect bandgap crossover occurs near x = 0.25. Furthermore, it is found that BxAl1−xN alloys have much larger dielectric constants than the constituent bulk materials (AlN = 9.3 ɛ0 or BN = 7.3 ɛ0), with values reaching as high as 12.1 ɛ0. These alloys are found to exhibit large dielectric breakdown fields in the range 9–35 MV cm−1 with a linear dependence on x. This work provides the much needed advancement in the understanding of the properties of BxAl1−xN to aid their application in next‐generation devices.
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spelling doaj-art-9649089800db4ca4b67b66427545bae52025-01-10T13:40:16ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced Electronic Materials2199-160X2025-01-01111n/an/a10.1002/aelm.202400549Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles SimulationsCody L. Milne0Tathagata Biswas1Arunima K. Singh2Department of Physics Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85282 USDepartment of Physics Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85282 USDepartment of Physics Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85282 USAbstract Ultra‐wide bandgap (UWBG) materials such as AlN and BN hold great promise for future power electronics due to their exceptional properties. They exhibit large bandgaps, high breakdown fields, high thermal conductivity, and high mechanical strengths. AlN and BN have been extensively researched, however, their alloys, BxAl1−xN, are much less studied despite their ability to offer tunable properties by adjusting x. In this article, the electronic properties of 17 recently predicted ground states of BxAl1−xN in the x = 0 − 1 range are predicted using first‐principles density functional theory and many‐body perturbation theory within GW approximation. All the BxAl1−xN structures are found to be UWBG materials and have bandgaps that vary linearly from that of wurtzite‐phase (w) AlN (6.19 eV) to that of w‐BN (7.47 eV). The bandstructures of BxAl1−xN show that a direct‐to‐indirect bandgap crossover occurs near x = 0.25. Furthermore, it is found that BxAl1−xN alloys have much larger dielectric constants than the constituent bulk materials (AlN = 9.3 ɛ0 or BN = 7.3 ɛ0), with values reaching as high as 12.1 ɛ0. These alloys are found to exhibit large dielectric breakdown fields in the range 9–35 MV cm−1 with a linear dependence on x. This work provides the much needed advancement in the understanding of the properties of BxAl1−xN to aid their application in next‐generation devices.https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400549boron aluminum nitrideDFTGWinsulatorpower electronicsultra wide bandgap
spellingShingle Cody L. Milne
Tathagata Biswas
Arunima K. Singh
Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations
Advanced Electronic Materials
boron aluminum nitride
DFT
GW
insulator
power electronics
ultra wide bandgap
title Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations
title_full Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations
title_fullStr Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations
title_full_unstemmed Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations
title_short Electronic Properties of Ultra‐Wide Bandgap BxAl1−xN Computed from First‐Principles Simulations
title_sort electronic properties of ultra wide bandgap bxal1 xn computed from first principles simulations
topic boron aluminum nitride
DFT
GW
insulator
power electronics
ultra wide bandgap
url https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400549
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