| In2Se3 has potential as a phase-change material for memory applications. Understanding its phase diagram is important to achieve controlled switching between phases. Pressure-dependent phase transitions of In2Se3 bulk powders and nanowire samples were studied at room temperature and at elevated temperatures using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and diamond-anvil cells (DACs). alpha-In2Se3 transforms into the beta phase at 0.7 GPa, an order of magnitude lower than phase-transition critical pressures in typical semiconductors. The bulk moduli are reported and the c/a ratio for the beta phase is shown to have a highly nonlinear dependence on pressure. gamma-In2Se3, metastable under ambient conditions, transforms into to the high-pressure beta phase between 2.8 GPa and 3.2 GPa in bulk powder samples and at slightly higher pressures, between 3.2 GPa and 3.7 GPa in nanowire samples. While the gamma phase bulk modulus is similar to that of the beta phase, the decrease due to pressure in the unit cell parameter ratio, c/a, is less than half the decrease seen in the beta phase. Using high-temperature DACs, we investigated how elevated temperatures and pressures affect the crystal structure of In 2Se3. From these measurements, the high-pressure beta phase was found to be metastable. The high-pressure beta phase transitions into the high-temperature beta phase at temperatures above 380 °C. |
