Phonons in large-band-gap materials Original Research Article

The outstanding thermal and chemical stability of large-band-gap materials like silicon carbide and III–V nitride semiconductors make them promising candidates for high-temperature electronics and short-wavelength optical applications. We present first studies of the phonon dispersion in hexagonal silicon carbide along the Γ–K–M direction and in hexagonal aluminum nitride along all three high-symmetry directions. Investigating the lattice dynamics of small single crystals (volume ≤1 mm3) has become feasible with the advent of high-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering.