Abstract
The semiconductor boron arsenide has a high 10B density, a wide bandgap, and a high melting temperature, all of which make it an interesting candidate for high-temperature electronic devices and radiation detectors. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the coefficients of thermal expansion for boron arsenide. B12As2 powder was synthesized from boron and arsenic heated in a sealed quartz ampoule at 1100°C for 72 hrs with excess boron. Using high temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) between 25°C and 850°C, the average lattice coefficients of thermal expansion were measured perpendicular and parallel to the <111> axis in the rhombohedral setting (equivalent to the a and c axes in the hexagonal setting): 4.9x10-6 K-1 and 5.3x10-6 K-1, respectively. The average unit cell volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion was determined to be 1.5x10-5 K-1.
