Microwave synthesis of ternary nitride materials

The utility of microwave heating and microwave generated nitrogen plasmas as a synthetic technique toward the synthesis of nitrides is demonstrated. The synthesis of several binary and ternary nitrides, including TiN, AlN, VN, Li3FeN2, Li5TiN3, and Li3AlN2, using either a microwave heating source or a microwave generated nitrogen plasma, are described. Two types of reactions, those between a metal and a nitrogen plasma and those between Li3N and either a metal or a metal nitride in a microwave heating system are discussed. (C) 1997 Academic Press.