Relationship between the auger parameter and the energy gap

In this communication we show that for different semiconductors which do not contain transition metal ions, the shift in the extra-atomic relaxation energy for the metal ion with the core hole-as measured by the Wagner Auger parameter shift with respect to the metallic state-is roughly linearly correlated to the energy gap with a slope approximately equal to -1. The relationship, useful from a practical point of view, can be rationalized using the qualitative concepts of local and non-local screening developed by Veal and Paulikas and the direct relation between the band gap and anion electronegativity. The core-hole screening for the semiconductors that follow the correlation can be described by the non-local screening mechanism. In this case, the polarized ligands transfer electronic charge to the unfilled s-p metal orbitals which are pulled down to the energy level of the local anion valence band by the core hole. Semiconductors containing transition metal ions, for which local screening mechanisms can occur by transferring the charge from the ligands to the localized d electronic levels, do not follow the correlation. This is due to the fact that the Auger parameter of the cation in the compound is similar to that of the atom in the metallic state. This result indicates that the relaxation energy in the transition metal compounds can be similar to the screening energy in the metallic state.