Electrical Properties of AlN-SiC Ceramics

AlN-SiC ceramics with 0 to 75 mol% of AlN were fabricated through pressureless sintering of very fine AlN and SiC. Powder compacts with different amounts of AlN were fired at 2000°C for 1 h in Argon gas flow using an induction-heating furnace. The microstructure and phases present in the products were evaluated using SEM and XRD. The AlN-SiC ceramics had a porous structure with 30% porosity, and the grain size was increased with the addition of AlN. XRD analysis showed that 2H was a main phase in all samples, though 3C and 6H phases were found in 25 mol%AlN-75 mol%SiC ceramic. The electrical properties of the AlN-SiC ceramics were evaluated at various temperatures ranging from room temperature to 300°C. The electrical conductivity of the AlN-SiC ceramics depended on the amount of AlN and on the temperature. The 75 mol%AlN-SiC ceramic had higher electrical resistance, though the other samples were electrical conductors. The highest electrical conductivity was obtained with the 25 mol% AlN composition, which was 7 S/m at room temperature and 30 S/m at 300°C. The Seebeck coefficient for the AlN-SiC ceramics increased with rising temperatures. The AlN-SiC ceramics with 50 mol%AlN had the highest Seebeck coefficient of 220 2V/K at 300°C.