Morphologically Controlled Growth of Aluminum Nitride Nanostructures by the Carbothermal Reduction and Nitridation Method

One-dimensional aluminum nitride (AlN) nanostructures were synthesized by calcining an Al(OH)(succinate) complex, which contained a very small amount of iron as a catalyst, under a mixed gas flow of nitrogen and CO (1 vol%). The complex decomposed into a homogeneous mixture of alumina and carbon at the molecular level, resulting in the lowering of the formation temperature of the AlN nanostructures. The morphology of the nanostructures such as nanocone, nanoneedle, nanowire, and nanobamboo was controlled by varying the reaction conditions, including the reaction atmosphere, reaction temperature, duration time, and ramping rate. Iron droplets were observed on the tips of the AlN nanostructures, strongly supporting that the nanostructures grow through the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. The variation in the morphology of the nanostructures was well explained in terms of the relationship between the diffusion rate of AlN vapor into the iron droplets and the growth rate of the nanostructures.