Ceramic Powders and Precursors

Ceramic powders and precursors contain oxides, carbides, nitrides, carbon, and other non-metals with high melting points. They are usually micron or mesh-size in distribution. Ceramic powders, sol-gel solutions and precursors are fabricated through atomization, crushing, milling, precipitation, and other chemical processes. There are many different types of products. Examples include alumina, aluminum nitride, barium neodymium titanate, barium strontium titanates, barium tantalite, Beryllia, boron nitride, cubic boron nitride, glass ceramic, and cordierite.

Alumina and aluminum nitride and ceramic powders and precursors are commonly available. Alumina or aluminum oxide (Al203) is a compound of aluminum metal and oxygen used in the alpha alumina structural form. Aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics consist of aluminum, metal, and nitrogen. Aluminum nitride provides good thermal conductivity with high electrical insulation. Typically, alumina and aluminum nitride ceramic powders and precursors are useful as substrates, insulators, and barrier layers in microelectronics applications. 

Some ceramic powders and precursors include barium. Examples include barium neodymium titanates, barium strontium titanate, and barium tantalite. Barium neodymium titanate is a dielectric titanate ceramic that is modified with barium and neodymium. Barium strontium titanate (BST) is a common dielectric ceramic that contains barium and strontium. Similarly, barium tantalite is tantalite dielectric ceramic that is modified with barium. Barium titanate (BaTiO3) consists of titanium, oxygen, and an additional cation of barium. 

Beryllia, boron nitride, and cubic boron nitride are available as ceramic powders and precursors. Beryllia (BeO) is a toxic compound of beryllia, metal, and oxygen. A combination of high electrical resistively and thermal conductivity makes beryllia useful for electronic substrates. When electrically insulating, beryllia ceramic powders and precursors provide a level of thermal conductivity that is second only to diamond. Boron nitride (BN) ceramics are based on compounds of boron and nitrogen. BN is relatively inert and maintains good thermal conductivity and electrical insulation. Cubic boron nitride (CBN) is a superabrasive that is only second in hardness to diamond. These ceramic powders and particulates are used to fabricate substrates and insulators in microelectronic applications. 

Ceramic powders and precursors include glass ceramic and cordierite. Glass ceramic can be fused, molded, formed, ground, or machined by using conventional glass fabrication techniques. After partial fabrication, the structure is transformed from an amorphous glassy state to a crystalline ceramic state. Cordierite or cordierite porcelain is a magnesium-aluminum-silicate produced by the fusion of talc, clay, and aluminum oxide. Cordierite and cordierite mineral powders are also referred to as magnesium-alumino silicate, dichroite and iolite. Cordierite ceramic powders and precursors have high mechanical strength, low thermal expansion, and low dielectric loss.

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