Rapid Synthesis of Crystalline Gallium Nitride from Solid Precursors at Atmospheric Pressure

Highly crystalline hexagonal gallium nitride (GaN) can be formed in a rapid ambient pressure metathesis reaction between GaI3, Li3N, and NH4Cl. An ideal ratio of GaI3:Li3N:NH4Cl produces highly crystalline GaN (Figure, bottom) while a nonideal ratio produces amorphous GaN (Figure, top). After washing, the phase-pure GaN formed exhibits photoluminescence at 3.38 eV consistent with its known band gap and micrometer-sized crystallites.