Thermal conductivity of Spark Plasma Sintered AlN ceramics with multiple components sintering additive

Dense aluminum nitride ceramics were prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering with Sm2O3-CaF2 as multiple components sintering additives. The effect of sintering additives on the density, phase composition, microstructure and thermal conductivity of AlN ceramics was investigated. The results showed that Spark Plasma Sintering could fabricate dense AlN ceramics with superior thermal properties in a short time. The multiple components sintering additive not only purified the lattice of AlN ceramic by decreasing oxygen impurities but also reduced the content of grain boundaries by forming the evaporable second phases, thermal conductivity of AlN ceramics sintered with multiple components sintering additives was greatly improved. During the Spark Plasma Sintering process, the microstructures played a key role in controlling the thermal conductivity of AlN ceramics.