2026/06/08 by Sen Li, Chiaki Amei, Masayoshi Adachi +2 · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Energetic Materials and Combustion #GaN-based semiconductor devices and materials #nanoparticles nucleation surface interactions
paper · doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2026.116370
openalex publication_date 2026/06/08 · openalex created_date 2026/06/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
In this study, a near-equilibrium thermodynamic strategy for the direct nitridation of aluminum was developed to control AlN nucleation and crystal growth by deliberately reducing the driving force. Guided by thermodynamic calculations, the Fe-Al alloy composition, nitrogen partial pressure, and reaction temperature were designed to maintain the system close to the thermodynamic equilibrium. Under these conditions, the reduced driving force effectively suppressed excessive nucleation, enabling the growth of needle-like AlN single crystals with lengths of several centimeters and diameters of up to 300 μm, rather than polycrystalline aggregates. These crystals were subsequently used as seeds for near-equilibrium solution growth in a Fe-Cr flux, allowing rapid crystal enlargement at rates of up to 175 μm/h, while maintaining excellent crystallinity.