Lattice parameters, density and thermal expansion of InN microcrystals grown by the reaction of nitrogen plasma with liquid indium

InN crystals of size up to 50 mu m were synthesized using a microwave plasma source of nitrogen. The InN powder of wurtzite-type structure obtained was characterized by X-ray diffraction. Lattice parameters were measured in the temperature range 100-673 K. The average room-temperature lattice parameters of three of the samples studied at 296(+/-3) K are a = 3.5374(1) Angstrom, c = 5.7027(5) Angstrom. The calculated density is 6.923 +/- 0.003 g cm(-3). The thermal expansion coefficients in the temperature range investigated are a(a) = 3.6(2) x 10(-6) K-1 and a(c) = 2.6(3) x 10(-6) K-1.