Fabrication of Large-Size Alumina by Pressure-Vacuum Hybrid Slip Casting

Abstract

The size of various alumina ceramics used in the semiconductor and display industries must be increased to increase the size of wafers and panels. In this research, large alumina ceramics were fabricated by pressure-vacuum hybrid slip casting (PVHSC)employing a commercial powder, followed by sintering in a furnace. In the framework of the PVHSC method, the consolidation occurs not only by compression of the slip in the casting room but also by suction of the dispersion medium from the casting room. When sintered at 1650oC for 4 h, the fabricated large-size alumina (1,550 × 300 × 30 mm3) exhibited a dense microstructure corresponding to more than 99.2% of the theoretical density and a high purity of 99.79%. The flexural and compressive strengths of the alumina plate were greater than 340 MPa and 2,600 MPa, respectively.