Electronic band structure of TiN/MgO nanostructures

Various nanostructured TiN(001)/MgO(001) superlattices based on a repeated slab model with a vacuum region have been investigated by the total energy pseudopotential method. They are rectangular and rectangular parallelepiped TiN(001) dot structures on MgO(001)-2×2 and 3×3 substrates. A rectangular TiN(001) structure on a MgO(001)-2×1 substrate has also been calculated. Their detailed electronic and internal lattice properties were investigated systematically. The internal atomic coordinates in a unit cell were fully relaxed. The rectangular TiN(001) structure on the MgO(001)-2×1 superlattice, which is not a dot owing to its periodicity, corresponds to metallicity. The electronic states of relaxed rectangular TiN(001) dot/MgO(001)-2×2 and MgO(001)-3×3 superlattices are semiconducting. All relaxed rectangular parallelepiped TiN(001) dot/MgO(001)-2×2 and MgO(001)-3×3 superlattices correspond to metallicity. The electronic properties depend on the shape of the TiN dot and the size of the MgO substrate.