ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

High-resolution phonon spectra of silicon nitride phases

Abstract: Silicon nitride is a mechanically tough and light-weight ceramic material able to withstand high temperatures. It is therefore becoming increasingly attractive for use in specific technical applications. The material exists in two distinct phases under normal conditions, alpha and beta, which are both stable. The alpha phase may only be transformed into the beta phase under specific conditions, which involve a combination of high temperature, high pressure and/or significant inclusion of impurities. The reverse process (beta to alpha) has never been observed. In order to understand this behaviour we propose to model the material based on DFT calculations. In order for the model to be accurate, the basic vibrational motions of atoms (phonons) need to properly included. Inelastic netutron measurements would provide an experimental benchmark to assess the quality of the models.

Principal Investigator: Dr Stefan Andersson
Experimenter: Professor Anders Lervik
Local Contact: Dr Jeff Armstrong

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1910299

ISIS Experiment Number: RB1910299

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Stefan Andersson et al; (2019): High-resolution phonon spectra of silicon nitride phases, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1910299

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.