Synthesis and Optical Characterization of Aluminum Nitride Nanobelts

Aluminum nitride nanobelts with hexagonal structure were successfully synthesized by evaporating aluminum powder in ammonia/nitrogen atmosphere at 1200°C. The as-prepared AlN nanobelts have a rectangular cross section with a width of 30-500 nm and length of about 100 μm. The optical characterization indicates that the vibration modes of the AlN nanobelt agree well with those of AlN film despite its nanobelt geometry. This nanobelt geometry of AlN could be important for the construction of GaN-based nanoheterostructures in future nanoelectronics.