Calorimetric determination of the enthalpy of formation of InN and comparison with AlN and GaN

The standard enthalpy of formation of InN at 298 K has been determined using high-temperature oxidative drop solution calorimetry in a molten sodium molybdate solvent at 975 K. Calorimetric measurements were performed on six InN samples with varying nitrogen contents. The samples were characterized using x-ray diffraction, chemical analysis, electron microprobe analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement. The variation of the enthalpy of drop solution (kJ/g) with nitrogen content is approximately linear. The data, when extrapolated to stoichiometric InN, yield a standard enthalpy of formation from the elements of -28.6 ± 9.2 kJ/mol. The relatively large error results from the deviation of individual points from the straight line rather than uncertainties in each set of data for a given sample. This new directly measured enthalpy of formation is in good agreement with the old combustion calorimetric result by Hahn and Juza (1940). However, this calorimetric enthalpy of formation is significantly different from the enthalpy of formation values derived from the temperature dependence of the apparent decomposition pressure of nitrogen over InN. A literature survey of the enthalpies of formation of III-N nitride compounds is presented.