Preparation of High Purity Aluminum Nitride

We propose a new approach to produce very high purity (low oxygen content) aluminumnitride (AlN). Our objective is to produce AlN with an oxygen content of less than100ppm by weight at a cost of less than $10K/kg.High purity AlN ceramic has a thermal conductivity exceeding 300W/m-K at roomtemperature. This value rivals that of BeO but AlN is a much safer material withwhich to work. This application is valuable to high power electronics and to suchapplications as electrically insulating but thermally conducting stand-offs forsuperconducting wire. In addition, high purity AlN is needed to develop the bulkAlN crystal growth technology. Large, single crystals of AlN are needed tofabricate substrates for III-nitride device technology in optoelectronics and highpower electronics. The development of a viable technology for very high purityproduction of AlN starting material will greatly aid the development of thistechnology.