Synthesis and Characterization of Gallium Nitride Powders and Nanowires Using Ga(S2CNR2)3(R = CH3, C2H5) Complexes as New Precursors

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) powders and nanowires were prepared by using tris(N,N-dimethyldithiocarbamato)gallium(III) (Ga(DmDTC)<TEX>$_3$</TEX>) and tris(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamato)gallium(III) (Ga(DeDTC)<TEX>$_3$</TEX>) as new precursors. The GaN powders were obtained by reaction of the complexes with ammonia in the temperature ranging from 500 to 1100 <TEX>${^{\circ}C}$</TEX>. The process of conversion of the complexes to GaN was monitored by their weight loss, XRD, and <TEX>$^{71}$</TEX>Ga magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Most likely the complexes decompose to <TEX>$\gamma$</TEX> -Ga<TEX>$_2$</TEX>S<TEX>$_3$</TEX> and then turn into GaN via amorphous gallium thionitrides (GaS<TEX>$_x$</TEX>N<TEX>$_y$</TEX>). The reactivity of Ga(DmDTC)<TEX>$_3$</TEX> with ammonia was a little higher than that of Ga(DeDTC)<TEX>$_3$</TEX>. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra of asprepared GaN powders exhibited the band-edge emission of GaN at 363 nm. GaN nanowires were obtained by nitridation of as-ground <TEX>$\gamma$</TEX> -Ga<TEX>$_2$</TEX>S<TEX>$_3$</TEX> powders to GaN powders, followed by sublimation without using templates or catalysts.