Facile and economical synthesis of nitrogen-rich tantalum nitrides via an ammonia looping process under confined space

Abstract

Semiconductive nitrogen-rich tantalum nitrides including Ta₄N₅ and Ta₃N₅ are successfully synthesized via an ammonia looping process by space-confined thermal decomposition of a unique Ta–(NCNH₂)_x precursor. This novel approach not only breaks the limit of requiring small-sized tantalum precursors but also considerably reduces ammonia usage in comparison to conventional nitridation methods (0.9 liter vs. 36 liters).