FeGa3 and RuGa3:: Semiconducting intermetallic compounds

The intermetallic compounds FeGa3 and RuGa3 were prepared from the elements using a Ga flux and their structures were refined from single-crystal X-ray data. Both compounds crystallize with the FeGa3 structure type (tetragonal, space group P4(2)/mnm, Z=4). Electrical resistivity measurements revealed a semiconducting behavior for FeGa3 and RuGa3, which is in contrast to the good metallic conductivity observed for the isotypic compound CoGa3. The origin of the different electronic properties of these materials was investigated by first-principle calculations. It was found that in compounds adopting the FeGa3 structure type the transition metal atoms and Ga atoms interact strongly. This opens a d-p hybridization bandgap with a size of about 0.31 eV in the density of states at the Fermi level for 17-electron compounds (i.e., FeGa3 and RuGa3). The electronic structure of CoGa3 (an 18-electron compound) displays rigid band behavior with respect to FeGa3. As a consequence, the Fermi level in CoGa3 becomes located above the d-p hybridization gap which explains its metaltic conductivity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).