Synthesis of cubic silicon nitride

Andreas Zerr, Gerhard Miehe, George Serghiou, Marcus Schwarz, Edwin Kroke, Ralf Riedel (), Hartmut Fueß, Peter Kroll and Reinhard Boehler
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Andreas Zerr: Fachgebiet Disperse Feststoffe, Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Gerhard Miehe: Fachgebiet Strukturforschung, Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universitt Darmstadt
George Serghiou: Max-Planck-Institut fr Chemie
Marcus Schwarz: Fachgebiet Disperse Feststoffe, Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Edwin Kroke: Fachgebiet Disperse Feststoffe, Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Ralf Riedel: Fachgebiet Disperse Feststoffe, Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt
Hartmut Fueß: Fachgebiet Strukturforschung, Fachbereich Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universitt Darmstadt
Peter Kroll: Cornell University, Baker Laboratory
Reinhard Boehler: Max-Planck-Institut fr Chemie

Nature, 1999, vol. 400, issue 6742, 340-342

Abstract: Abstract Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is used in a variety of important technological applications. The high fracture toughness, hardness and wear resistance of Si3N4-based ceramics are exploited in cutting tools and anti-friction bearings1; in electronic applications, Si3N4 is used as an insulating, masking and passivating material2. Two polymorphs of silicon nitride are known, both of hexagonal structure: α- and β-Si3N4. Here we report the synthesis of a third polymorph of silicon nitride, which has a cubic spinel structure. This new phase, c-Si3N4, is formed at pressures above 15 GPa and temperatures exceeding 2,000 K, yet persists metastably in air at ambient pressure to at least 700 K. First-principles calculations of the properties of this phase suggest that the hardness of c-Si3N4 should be comparable to that of the hardest known oxide (stishovite3, a high-pressure phase of SiO2), and significantly greater than the hardness of the two hexagonal polymorphs.

Date: 1999
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DOI: 10.1038/22493

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