Hot-pressed aluminum nitride ceramics are sintered using vacuum hot pressing, a process more challenging than normal pressure sintering. The purity of aluminum nitride can reach 98.5% (without any sintering additives), and the density after hot pressing reaches 3.3 g/cm3. Additionally, it exhibits excellent thermal conductivity and high electrical insulation, ranging from 90 W/(m·K) to 210 W/(m·K).
The material is hard and brittle, making it difficult to process. Consequently, it is prone to nicks or scratches during handling or processing, leading to a high scrap rate.
The thinnest thickness is only 0.75 mm, and the processing difficulty is also relatively high.
Applications of hot-pressed aluminum nitride heater covers:
– Semiconductor Cover Heater
– Cover and MRI equipment (magnetic resonance imaging)
– High-power detectors – Plasma generators – Military radios
– Electrostatic chucks and heating plates are used for semiconductors and integrated circuits.
– Infrared and microwave window materials
Material Properties
1. Uniform microstructure
2. High thermal conductivity (70-180 W/(m·K)), customized through processing conditions and additives
3. High resistivity
4. Thermal expansion coefficient is close to that of silicon
5. Corrosion and erosion resistance
6. Excellent thermal shock resistance
7. The material exhibits chemical stability up to 980°C in H2 and CO2 atmospheres, and up to 1380°C in air (surface oxidation occurs at around 780°C; the surface layer protects the bulk material up to 1380°C).
Typical specifications:
Purity: | >98.5% |
Density: | >3.3 g/cm3 |
Compressive strength: | >3,350MPa |
Flexural strength: | 380MPa |
MGray and gray-black: | >90W/(m·K) |
Coefficient of thermal expansion: | 5.0 x 10-6/K |
Max. temperature:: | 1,800°C |
Volume resistivity: | 7×1012Ω·A copper-oxygen eutectic form that successfully bonds with copper and oxides used as substrates |
Dielectric strength: | 15 kV/mm |
Aluminum Nitride (AlN) is an excellent material when high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties are required, making it ideal for thermal management and electrical applications. Additionally, AlN is a common replacement for Beryllium Oxide (Be) in the semiconductor industry because it does not pose a health hazard when processed. The thermal expansion coefficient and electrical insulation properties of AlN closely match those of silicon wafer materials, making it a useful material for electronic applications where high temperatures and heat dissipation are often an issue.
AlN is one of the few materials that offer both electrical insulation and high thermal conductivity. This makes AlN very useful in high-power electronic applications as a heat sink and heat spreader.