Germanium(IV) nitride is a chemical compound with the formula Ge3N4. Using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, germanium nitride films were deposited on indium phosphide (InP) compound semiconductor substrates. Two different deposition processes were used in a capacitively coupled parallel-plate reactor. Germane (GeH4), nitrogen (N2), and ammonia (NH3) reactant gases were used in the first process.
It can be produced through the reaction of germanium and ammonia:
3 Ge + 4 NH3 → Ge3N4 + 6 H2
Structure
In its pure form, germanium(IV) nitride is a colorless, inert solid that crystallizes in a variety of polymorphs, the most stable of which is the trigonal β-form (space group P31c). The germanium atoms are tetrahedrally coordinated in this structure, while the nitrogen atoms are trigonal planar. The spinel structure of the γ-form, which forms under high pressure.
Molecular Weight
The formula weight is a quantity in chemistry that is calculated by multiplying the atomic weight (in atomic mass units) of each element in a chemical formula by the number of atoms of that element present in the formula, then adding all of these products together. Using the compound’s chemical formula and the periodic table of elements, we can add up the atomic weights and calculate the molecular weight. Germanium(IV) Nitride molecular weight –
Molar mass of Ge3N4 = 273.9468 g/mol
Uses
Germanium nitride has received a lot of attention in recent years because of its unique properties and potential applications in various devices. It can be used as a thin film material for the passivation of various semiconductors in metal-insulator-semiconductor devices, as a buffer layer for growing the crystalline GaN film on Ge, as a material for plasmonic devices, as an effective monoxide photocatalyst for overall water splitting, and as a stable negative electrode material for Li-ion batteries.
A new cubic spinel-structured phase of Ge3N4 (γ-phase) that is harder than sapphire and can be used as a hard material has been discovered. There are only two papers dealing with the growth of one-dimensional germanium nitride nanostructures (Ge3N4 nanobelts and nanowires (NWs) produced at C. We previously presented preliminary results on the growth of nanostructured germanium nitride at much lower temperatures.
