Semiconductive zirconia sintering material comprising aluminum oxide
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a semiconductive zirconia sintering material comprising more than 2% by weight of aluminum oxide and sintered zirconia material derived therefrom as well as a method of producing the sintered material. The sintered semiconductive zirconia materials of the present invention have a better physical and mechanical properties than conventional sintered semiconductive zirconia materials.
1. A conductive zirconia sintering material having a volume specific resistance of at least about 10 6 Ω•cm, wherein said zirconia sintering material comprises:
(a) 60 to 90 weight % of ZrO 2 ;
(b) greater than 2% by weight of Al 2 O 3 ; and
(c) 8 to about 38 weight % of a conductive agent.
2. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein a fracture toughness of said sintering material is at least about 7 Mpa•m 1/2 .
3. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein the total amount of Al 2 O 3 and the conductive agent in said sintering material is about 10-40%.
4. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein the total amount of Al 2 O 3 and the conductive agent in said sintering material is about 20% or less.
5. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein said ZrO 2 further comprises a stabilizing agent.
6. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 5 , wherein said stabilizing agent is yttrium oxide, or any rare earth oxide.
7. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 6 , wherein the amount of said stabilizing agent present in said zirconia sintering material is from about 2 to about 20 mol % relative to the amount of ZrO 2 .
8. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 5 , wherein said zirconia material comprises greater than 2% to about 20% by weight of Al 2 O 3 .
9. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 8 , wherein said zirconia material comprises between 5% to 15% by weight of Al 2 O 3 .
10. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 9 , wherein said zirconia material comprises about 10% by weight of Al 2 O 3 .
11. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein said conductive agent is an oxide of a transition metal.
12. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 11 , wherein said transition metal is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cr and a mixture thereof.
13. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 12 , wherein said transition metal is Fe or Cr.
14. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein said zirconia material has a three-point flexural strength of at least about 500 Mpa.
15. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein said zirconia material has a volume specific resistance range of from about 10 6 to about 10 9 Ω•cm.
16. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 1 , wherein said zirconia material has an elastic modulus of at least about 25×10 6 psi.
17. A semiconductive zirconia sintering material having a volume specific resistance of from about 10 3 Ω•cm to about 10 9 Ω•cm, a fracture toughness of greater than about 7 Mpa•m 1/2 and comprising zirconia, a conductive agent, and greater than 2% by weight of aluminum oxide.
18. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 17 , wherein the amount of conductive agent is about 20% or less.
19. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 18 , wherein said conductive agent is iron oxide.
20. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 19 , comprising about 17% by weight of iron oxide and about 10% by weight of aluminum oxide.
21. A semiconductor manufacturing device comprising a semiconductive zirconia material of claim 1 .
22. A method for producing a semiconductive zirconia material having a volume specific resistance of at least about 10 6 Ω•cm and having a fracture toughness of at least about 7 Mpa•m 1/2 , said method comprising:
(a) providing an admixture comprising at least about 80% by weight of zirconia and about 10% to about 40% by weight of a conductive material, and more than 2% by weight of aluminum oxide relative to the total weight of the admixture; and
(b) sintering the admixture under conditions sufficient to produce the sintered semiconductive zirconia material.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said step of sintering comprises heating the admixture at a temperature range from about 1250° C. to about 1550° C.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said admixture is heated under an oxidative condition.
25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the conductive material comprises iron oxide.
26. A semiconductive zirconia sintering material having a volume specific resistance of from about 10 3 Ω•cm to about 10 9 Ω•cm, a fracture toughness of greater than about 7 Mpa•m 1/2 and comprising:
(a) zirconia,
(b) about 15% to about 25%, by weight, iron oxide, and
(c) greater than 2% by weight of aluminum oxide.
27. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 26 , comprising about 17% by weight of iron oxide.
28. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 26 , comprising about 10% by weight of aluminum oxide.
29. The semiconductive zirconia sintering material of claim 26 , comprising about 60 to 90 weight % of zirconia.