Preparation of AlN from poly(ethyliminoalane)via pyrolysis

Abstract

Aluminium nitride (A1N) powder has been prepared by pyrolysing poly(ethyliminoalane) under Ar (at 1600 °C for 2 h) and NH₃–N₂(at 600 °C for 2 h under NH₃ and at 1350 °C for 8 h under N₂) atmospheres, and the products have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state ²⁷A1 NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption measurement. The only crystalline product was A1N, in which carbon and oxygen were hardly present by solid-solution formation. A considerable amount (17.1 mass%) of carbon remained in the product pyrolysed under Ar, whereas most of carbon was removed during the pyrolysis under NH₃–N₂(0.1 mass%). The A1N particles obtained by pyrolysis under NH₃–N₂ were finer than those obtained by pyrolysis under Ar. The ceramic yields were 50%(Ar) and 57%(NH₃–N₂); the latter value is close to the theoretical yield (58%).