Use of Post‐heat Treatment to Obtain a 2H Solid Solution in Spark Plasma Sintering‐Processed AlN–SiC Mixtures

Dense aluminum nitride–silicon carbide (AlN–SiC) solid solutions with a 2H structure were fabricated by the post-heat treatment of dense AlN–SiC composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The changes in the relative density, microstructure, and phases present were investigated for the compositions of 25 mol% AlN–75 mol% SiC (AlN 25), 50 mol% AlN–50 mol% SiC (AlN 50), and 75 mol% AlN–25 mol% SiC (AlN 75). The AlN–SiC composites fabricated by the SPS were dense ceramics with fine microstructures and composed of 2H and 6H AlN–SiC solid solutions. The AlN 50 samples heat treated at 2200°C and the AlN 75 samples heat treated at 2100°C were also dense ceramics and composed of only the 2H AlN–SiC solid solution. In contrast, the AlN 25 samples heat treated at 2200°C were porous ceramics and composed of several AlN–SiC solid solutions (2H, 4H, 6H, and 15R), and the AlN 75 samples heat treated at 2200°C were decomposed into an Al melt. Dense AlN–SiC solid solutions composed of only the 2H phase can be obtained by controlling the heat-treatment temperatures, except for the AlN 25 sample.