Nonorthogonal Tight-Binding Molecular Dynamics for Si(1-x)Ge(x) Alloys

We present a theoretical study of Si(1-x)Ge(x) alloys based on tight-binding molecular dynamics (TBMD) calculations. First, we introduce a new set of nonorthogonal tight-binding parameters for silicon and germanium based on the previous work by Menon and Subbaswamy [Phys. Rev. B 55, 9231 (1997); J. Phys: Condens. Matter 10, 10991 (1998)]. We then apply the method to structural analyses of Si(1-x)Ge(x) alloys. The equilibrium volume and atomic structure for a given x are obtained by the TBMD method. We also calculate the bulk modulus B, elastic constants C(11), C(12) and C(44) as a function of x. The results show that the moduli vary monotonically, but nonlinearly, between the values of Si crystal and Ge crystal. The validity of the results is also discussed.