Electronic structure of spinel-type nitride compounds Si3N4, Ge3N4, and Sn3N4 with tunable band gaps: application to light emitting diodes.

In this Letter using experimental and theoretical methods, we show that the solid solutions of group 14 nitrides having spinel structure (γ-M3N4 where M=Si, Ge, Sn) exhibit mainly direct electronic band gaps with values that span the entire visible wavelength region, making these hard and thermally stable materials suitable for optoelectronic devices and, in particular, lighting applications. Using the simulated band structure, we also calculate the exciton binding energy. The combination of large exciton binding energies and the tunable electronic band gaps in the visible range makes these binary spinel nitrides and their solid solutions a new class of multifunctional materials with optoelectronic properties that can be engineered to suit the desired application.