The challenge of decomposition and melting of gallium nitride under high pressure and high temperature

Gallium nitride (GaN) is considered to be one of the most important semiconductors nowadays. In this report a solution of the long standing puzzle regarding GaN decomposition and melting under high pressure and high temperature is presented. This includes the discussion of results obtained so far. The possibility of a consistent parameterisation of pressure (P) evolution of the melting temperature (T-m) in basic semiconductors (GaN, germanium, silicon...), independently from signs of dT(m)/dP is also presented. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.