Onset of selective laser flash sintering of AlN

Abstract

Flash sintering uses a combination of heating and electric fields to rapidly densify ceramics. Previously, it has been shown that a scanning laser can be used to initiate flash sintering in localized regions on an yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) sample in a process known as selective laser flash sintering (SLFS). In this work, we show using a combination of measurements of electric current flowing through the sample and observations of necks formed between powder particles that aluminum nitride (AlN) can also undergo SLFS. Scan conditions required to initiate SLFS are characterized over a range of laser powers and laser scan speeds in a dry nitrogen environment. It is shown that initiation of SLFS in AlN is governed by both the local input energy density per scan and heat dissipation and a numerical model is developed to predict temperatures during SLFS. Assuming the minimum temperature along the conductive path determines the onset of SLFS, the minimum temperature and time required is 450–670 K in 2–0.25 s for the pressed AlN pellets used in this study for laser scan speeds of 33–300 m/s, laser powers of 10–30 W, and an applied electric field of 3000 V/cm.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 09, 2021
Source ID
10.1111/ijac.13840

Entities

People

  • Alex Chen
  • Andre Gouws
  • Deborah Hagen
  • Desiderio Kovar
  • Erofili Kardoulaki
  • Joseph J. Beaman

Organizations

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Office of Naval Research Global
  • University of Texas at Austin

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.
  • Reinforced Composite Materials

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy