Electronic structure In-Sn alloys

Abstract

The InSn system is interesting by the existence of a simple hexagonal phase for compositions from 72 to 87 at% Sn at 25 °C and from 73 to 85 at% Sn at -150 °C. These alloys are usually referred to as gamma–Sn. The InSn alloys are disordered in the whole concentration interval. In this contribution, energetics and electronic structure of InSn system is studied from first principles. A simplified version of virtual crystal approximation is employed to describe disorder. It turns out that the present approach is capable of describing phase composition of InSn system in the whole concentration interval. In particular, we are able to reproduce the existence of simple hexagonal phase around 80 at% Sn