Nanocorundum (α-Al₂O₃)

New excellence in quality, availability and price by advanced syntheses

Associated with an adjusted use of precursors and seeding approaches, a special temperatur/time regime of the controlled hydrolysis enables the direct formation of gamma-Al₂O₃ from a quasiamorphous intermediate at 400-600°C and, finally, a transformation to corundum completed at low temperatures > 750°C.

Advantages

• Use of common, inexpensive raw materials (e.g. Al-nitrate), processes that can be run automatically
  
• Options: aqueous/inorganic and alcoholic/organic;
  
• Batch sizes large for subsequent technological development
  
• Transformation to corundum at low temperature of about 800°C provides redispersible nanopowders
  
• Average size of redispersed calcined and ground particles >25 nm

Products and services offered

• Development of syntheses for nanocorundum with requested properties
• Upscaling investigations
• Developments for the processing of nanocorundum to produce
  • porous coatings (membranes) and compacts
  • dense and porous coatings on metallic substrates
  • dense sintered compacts; options for sol/gel or powder technological approaches

Chemical-mechanical polishing of deposited thin oxide and metallic layers is a global key technology in the manufacture of highly integrated circuits. Whereas the chemical effect of the medium is imperative it is, on the other hand, also important to avoid corrosion damages. Thus, the properties of the polishing particles are responsible for associating high polishing rates with an outstanding quality of the materials removal process.

Advantages

• Very high hardness of α-Al₂O₃
  
• Isometric shape of particles
  
• Adjustable particle sizes in the nano-range
  (d50 ~ 30-100 nm)
  
• High polishing rate with excellent surface quality

Products and services offered

• Consulting service for potential application at customer
  
• Evalution of the performance of new nano-α-Al₂O₃ slurry systems
  
• Joint projects aiming for new products