CHARACTERIZATION OF ALUMINUM NITRIDE FROM A PRECURSOR POLY(ISOPROPYLIMINOALANE)

Aluminum nitride (AlN) was prepared by pyrolysis of poly(isopropylimin oalane) under Ar and NH3/N-2 atmospheres. X-ray powder diffraction ana lysis revealed that the only crystalline phase was AlN, whose lattice constants showed that possible amounts of carbon and oxygen in the lat tice should be very small. Chemical analyses showed the presence of ca rbon only in the product pyrolyzed in Ar; almost all carbon was remove d by pyrolysis in NH3/N-2. The ceramic yield for two-step pyrolysis in Ar (1000 degrees C for 2h, 1600 degrees C for 2h) was 32%, while that for pyrolysis in NH3/N-2 (600 degrees C for 2h in NH3, 1350 degrees C for 8h in N-2) was 47%.