Polycrystalline aluminum nitride material and method of production thereof
AssigneeHexatech, Inc.
InventorsBaxter Moody, Rafael Dalmau, David Henshall, Raoul Schlesser
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Abstract
Methods of preparing polycrystalline aluminum nitride materials that have high density, high purity, and favorable surface morphology are disclosed. The methods generally comprises pressing aluminum nitride powders to form a slug, sintering the slug to form a sintered, polycrystalline aluminum nitride boule, and optionally shaping the boule and/or polishing at least a portion of the boule to provide a finished substrate. The sintered, polycrystalline aluminum nitride materials beneficially are prepared without the use of any sintering aid or binder, and the formed materials exhibit excellent density, AlN purity, and surface morphology.
Claims52
A method of preparing a polycrystalline aluminum nitride material having defined characteristics, the method comprising:
- pressing aluminum nitride powder to form a pressed aluminum nitride slug;
- and
- sintering the pressed aluminum nitride slug by heating to a maximum temperature of at least about 1,500° C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to form a sintered aluminum nitride boule;
- wherein the sintered polycrystalline aluminum nitride boule has a relative density of at least about 98% and an aluminum nitride purity of at least about 98% by weight.
A polycrystalline aluminum nitride substrate having a relative density of at least about 98%, an aluminum nitride purity of at least about 98% by weight, an rms surface roughness of less than about 80 nm, and a defect density of less than about 1,000 cm−2.
A polycrystalline aluminum nitride boule having a relative density of at least about 98% and an aluminum nitride purity of at least about 98% by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.