Open AccessThe Intermetallic Semiconductor ht-IrGa3: a Material in the in-Transformation State
Author(s) -
Raúl CardosoGil,
Iryna Zelenina,
Quirin Stahl,
Matej Bobnar,
Primož Koželj,
Mitja Krnel,
Ulrich Burkhardt,
Igor Veremchuk,
Paul Simon,
Wilder CarrilloCabrera,
Magnus Boström,
Yuri Grin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acs materials au
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2694-2461
DOI - 10.1021/acsmaterialsau.1c00025
Subject(s) - intermetallic , transformation (genetics) , semiconductor , state (computer science) , materials science , metallurgy , chemistry , optoelectronics , computer science , programming language , alloy , biochemistry , gene
The compound IrGa 3 was synthesized by direct reaction of the elements. It is formed as a high-temperature phase in the Ir-Ga system. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the tetragonal symmetry (space group P 4 2 /mnm , No. 136) with a = 6.4623(1) Å and c = 6.5688(2) Å and reveals strong disorder in the crystal structure, reflected in the huge values and anisotropy of the atomic displacement parameters. A model for the real crystal structure of ht -IrGa 3 is derived by the split-position approach from the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and confirmed by an atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy study. Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity measurements evidence semiconductor behavior with a band gap of 30 meV. A thermoelectric characterization was performed for ht -IrGa 3 and for the solid solution IrGa 3- x Zn x .