Synthesis of bulk polycrystalline indium nitride at subatmospheric pressures

Polycrystalline, wurtzitic indium nitride was synthesized by saturating indium with nitrogen from microwave plasma sources. The structure was confirmed by x-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, and elemental analysis. Two types of growth were observed: (i) dendritic crystals on the original melt surface, and (ii) hexagonal platelets adjacent to the In metal source on the upper edge of the crucible. The method does not involve a foreign substrate to initiate growth and is a potential alternative to the high-pressure techniques normally associated with bulk growth of indium nitride. The lattice parameters were a 3.5366 +/- 0.0005 Angstrom and c = 5.7009 +/- 0.0005 Angstrom, with c/a 1.612 +/- 0.0005.