Synthesis of GaN Nanostructures at Low Temperatures by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this study, we report on the synthesis of gallium nitride (GaN) nanopowders on boron nitride (BN) substrates both with and without the use of metal catalyst by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The synthesis process is based on the reaction between gallium (Ga) atoms from the decomposition of gallium acetylacetonate and ammonia (NH3) gas molecules. Using this process, gallium nitride (GaN) nanopowders have been synthesized at temperatures as low as 400°C, lower than previously reported. The grown nanopowders were characterized by SEM, EDX and TEM. Analysis reveals that higher yields were obtained by treating the BN substrates with Ni catalyst. Experiments to study the effect of growth conditions on the morphology of the nanopowders and analyze the growth mechanism are ongoing.