New Ceramic Phases in the Ternary Si-C-N System

The ultra-high pressure and temperature synthesis of spinel silicon nitride and germanium nitride on the one hand as well as the successful synthesis of tin nitride at ambient pressure on the other hand have caused an enormous impact on both basic science and technological development of advanced nitrides. Aim and scope of the research in this field is to synthesize novel nitrides for structural and functional applications. High presssure nitrides may combine ultra-high hardness with high thermal stability in terms of decomposition in different environments and are expected to show interesting optoelectronic properties. Here, the state of the art and the progress in the field of novel advanced nitrides and related materials synthesized reproducibly under high pressure are reviewed