Method of making aluminum nitride foam
AssigneeCellMo Materials Innovation, Inc.
InventorsKyungju Nam, Heeman Choe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Porous aluminum nitride (AlN) provides a greater surface area and higher permeability, which is especially desirable for advanced functional application. Porous or bulk aluminum nitride is very difficult to manufacture due mainly to its high melting point (e.g., 2200 degrees Celsius). A new processing method synthesizes porous aluminum nitride through a complete transformation from porous aluminum using a remarkably low nitriding or sintering temperature. The manufactured porous aluminum nitride foam can be used for such applications as filters, separators, heat sinks, ballistic armor, electronic packaging, light- and field-emission devices, and highly wear-resistant composites when infiltrated with metal such as aluminum, titanium, or copper.
Claims16
An article of manufacture comprising an aluminum nitride (AlN) foam comprising a porous structure with regularly distributed pores on the order of nanometers and micrometers, which has been manufactured through direct nitridation in a nitrogen atmosphere at a relatively low temperature of less than about 1000 degrees Celsius,
- wherein the aluminum nitride foam has a porosity of about 60 percent to 80 percent.
An article of manufacture comprising an aluminum nitride (AlN) foam comprising a porous structure with regularly distributed pores on the order of nanometers, which has been manufactured through direct nitridation in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of less than about 1000 degrees Celsius,
- wherein the aluminum nitride foam has a porosity of about 60 percent to 80 percent.
An article of manufacture comprising an aluminum nitride (AlN) foam comprising a porous structure with regularly distributed pores on the order of nanometers, which has been manufactured through direct nitridation in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of less than about 1000 degrees Celsius,
- wherein the aluminum nitride foam has a porosity of about 60 percent to 80 percent,
- a load-displacement curve comprises a first point at a force of about 500 micronewtons and a displacement of between about 28 to 32 nanometers, a second point at a force of about 1000 micronewtons and a displacement of between about 48 to 52 nanometers, and a third point at a force of about 2000 micronewtons and a displacement of between about 78 to 82 nanometers, and
- at a load of 8000 micronewtons, the aluminum nitride foam has a hardness of about 6 to 8.8 gigapascals and an elastic modulus of about 35 to 45 gigapascals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.