Cubic silicon nitride is a new polymorphous of Si₃N₄ synthesized under high pressure and high temperature. Compared to the two known hexagonal phases of α and β, the new phase is about 26% denser in density, and it is predicted to be a new multi-functional ceramic. The achievement and related concern of the cubic silicon nitride have been reviewed in this paper, including the progress in artificial synthesis, the study on its physical property, the synthesis of other Ⅳ(A) group denser nitrides (Ge₃N₄, Sn₃N₄, C₃N₄), and the explore of the possible post-spinel phase of nitride. By using a flyer impact technique with explosive detonation, we recently have synthesized the cubic silicon nitride from the precursor of α-Si₃N₄, and the mass production of the cubic phase has reached about 2 grams in each run of the shock wave compression test, which provides an economic way for further investigation of its potential performance in industriy.

cubic silicon nitride  /  shock compression  /  synthesis