Synthesis and characterization of high purity, single phase GaN powder

Abstract

Synthesis of high-purity, single-phase gallium nitride (GaN) powder has been achieved by reacting molten Ga with flowing ammonia (NH3) in a hot wall tube furnace. The optimum temperature, NH3 flow rate, and position of the boat in the hot wall tube furnace relative to the NH3 inlet for the complete reaction to pure GaN for our system were 975 °C, 400 standard cubic centimeters per minute (seem) and 50 cm, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed the GaN to be single phase with a = 3.1891 Å, c = 5.1855 Å, in space group P63mc, Z=2 and Dx =6.089 g cm−3. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a particle size distribution in the crushed material between 1 and 5 μm with most of the particles being ≍1 μm.