Custom Aluminum Nitride Ceramic Parts are made to your drawing rather than to a catalogue shape: complex outlines, intersecting bores, thin walls and asymmetrical features that no standard shape covers.
Custom aluminium nitride parts are made where the component itself has to move heat, in heat sinks, chuck bodies and plasma containment rings for semiconductor tools.
Aluminium nitride is the thermal-management ceramic. Conductivity of 170-200 W/m·K rivals metals while the material stays an electrical insulator, and its 4.5 ×10⁻⁶/K expansion sits close to silicon, which is why it underpins power electronics substrates.
It degrades in humid or alkaline conditions unless protected, its flexural strength of 300-350 MPa is only moderate, and it costs considerably more than alumina.
Specifications
| Process route | pressing, CIP, injection moulding or extrusion |
| Finishing | diamond grinding, lapping, honing |
| Dimensional tolerance | ±0.01 mm, ±0.002 mm on ground features |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.4 µm ground, Ra 0.05 µm polished |
| Features | bores, slots, threads, tapers, pockets |
| Quantity | single prototypes to production volumes |
| Drawing formats | DXF, STEP, IGES, PDF |
Aluminium Nitride Properties
| Composition | Aluminium nitride |
| Density | 3.26 g/cm³ |
| Vickers hardness | 1100-1200 HV |
| Flexural strength | 300-350 MPa |
| Fracture toughness | 2.5-3.5 MPa·m½ |
| Max. service temperature | 1000°C |
| Thermal conductivity | 170-200 W/m·K |
| Thermal expansion (20-1000°C) | 4.5 ×10⁻⁶/K |
Machining and Tolerances
Complex parts are near-net shaped by pressing, injection moulding or isostatic pressing, then ground with diamond tooling to the finished features. Green machining before firing is used where it saves grinding time, and we always advise on which features are worth holding and which will drive cost without adding function.
Where It Is Used
- Semiconductor and vacuum equipment components
- Fixtures and nests for welding, brazing and assembly
- Analytical and medical instrument parts
- Wear components for packaging and converting machinery
- High-voltage and high-frequency insulators
Frequently Asked Questions
What tolerance should I put on the drawing?
Hold tolerance only on features that matter. A blanket ±0.01 mm across a complex part can double or treble the cost without improving function, so we mark the functional features and leave the rest open.
Can you help with the design before quoting?
Yes, and it usually saves money. We review draft geometry for wall thickness, sharp corners and features that will not grind cleanly, then suggest changes before the drawing is frozen.