The ionic Hubbard model on a cubic lattice is investigated using analytical
approximations and Wilson's renormalization group for the charge excitation
spectrum. Near the Mott insulating regime, where the Hubbard repulsion starts
to dominate all energies, the formation of correlated bands is described. The
corresponding partial spectral weights and local densities of states show
characteristic features, which compare well with a hybridized-band picture
appropriate for the regime at small U, which at half-filling is known as a
band insulator. In particular, a narrow charge gap is obtained at half-filling,
and the distribution of spectral quasi-particle weight reflects the fundamental
hybridization mechanism of the model