AlN nanorings

Aluminum nitride nanorings with hexangular crystal structure were first synthesized by evaporating of aluminum alloy in ammonia/nitrogen atmosphere at 1100 °C. The products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, FT-IR absorption and Raman scattering. Nanorings with the diameter of about 3 μm are formed by bending nanowires. HRTEM and electron diffraction studies revealed that nanorings are single crystal and the c-axis of the AlN crystal directs along the radial direction of the nanoring. The electrostatic polar charge model is employed in the explanation of the AlN nanoring formation.