Growth and characterization of single-phase metastable tantalum nitride nanocrystals by dc arc discharge

Metastable cubic tantalum nitride (TaN) nanocrystals have been firstly direct synthesized by dc arc discharge and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. The average grain size of cubic TaN nanocrystals is about 5–10 nm. The influence of N2 pressure on the as-synthesized metastable cubic TaN is studied and it is found that lower N2 pressure is favorable for the formation of metastable cubic TaN. The growth mechanism of metastable cubic TaN was discussed. This method may be suitable for a direct preparation for mass production of TaN nanocrystals.