Combustion synthesis of aluminum nitride: A review

Aluminum nitride has been acknowledged as an important industrial material because of its unique combination of high thermal conductivity and high electrical resistivity. Although there have been several excellent reviews on the synthesis of aluminum nitride, little has been mentioned on the combustion synthesis of AlN. In this work, the combustion synthesis methods for synthesis of AlN are reviewed and classified according to the phases involved in the reaction, the types of reactants (and additives) used and the design principles for the synthesis processes. Problems critical to combustion synthesis of AlN to obtain products with high product yields and low impurity contents are summarized and discussed.