Electronic structures of platinum group elements silicides calculated by a first-principle pseudopotential method using plane-wave basis

The electronic structures of platinum group elements (Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pd, and Pt) silicides have been calculated. Ir3Si5 is a semiconductor with the direct gap of 1.14 eV. Among monosilicides, RuSi and OsSi with the FeSi-type structure are semiconductors with the gap values of 0.21 and 0.41 eV but RhSi, IrSi, PdSi, and PtSi with the MnP-type structure are metals. No semiconducting compounds can be found in other platinum group elements silicides other than known Ru2Si3, Os2Si3, and OsSi2.