Growth of Nano- and Microstructured Indium Nitride Crystals by the Reaction of Indium Oxide with Ammonia

Nano- and microstructured indium nitride crystals were synthesized by the reaction of indium oxide ($In_2O_3$) powder and its pellet with ammonia in the temperature range 580-700 ${^{\circ}C}$. The degree of nitridation of $In_2O_3$ to InN was very sensitive to the nitridation temperature. The formation of zero- to three-dimensional structured InN crystals demonstrated that $In_2O_3$ is nitridated to InN via two dominant parallel routes (solid ($In_2O_3$)-to-solid (InN) and gas ($In_2O$)-to-solid (InN)). The growth of InN crystals with such various morphologies was explained by the vapor-solid (VS) mechanism where the degree of supersaturation of In vapor determines the growth morphology and the vapor was mainly by the reaction of $In_2O$ with ammonia and partially by sublimation of solid InN. The pellet method was proven to be useful to obtain homogeneous InN nanowires.