| Abstract Scope |
Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a piezoelectric wide band-gap semiconductor with excellent thermal properties, making it a promising high-temperature structural material. AlN parts are usually sintered, but laser powder bed fusion can enable microstructural engineering, improving performance and broadening applications. The implementation of additive manufacturing can enable enhanced defect control and has potential to decrease the production cost of functional semiconducting materials compared to traditional methods. Under ambient conditions, AlN will decompose into diatomic nitrogen gas and aluminum gas instead of melting, though this decomposition can be suppressed by reducing the partial pressure of nitrogen gas in the system. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) allows control over the gas environment, allowing melting of AlN. This project seeks to establish the processing conditions that result in consistent melting of AlN, characterize structural, microstructural, and compositional changes of laser processing, and investigate the viability of LPBF of AlN. |