Microstructure and optical properties of hot isostatically pressed Nd:YAG ceramics

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996 · Journal of the American Ceramic Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1996.tb08015.x· OSTI ID:282218

Ikesue, A ^[1]; Kamata, K ^[2]

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1. Krosaki Corp., Kitakyushu (Japan). Technical Research Center
2. Nagaoka Univ. of Technology (Japan). Dept. of Materials Science and Technology

Neodymium-doped transparent yttrium-aluminum garnet (Y{sub 3}Al{sub 5}O{sub 12}, YAG) (Nd:YAG) ceramics for solid-state laser material were fabricated by a solid-state reaction method using high-purity powders (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3}) as starting materials and capsule-free hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The mixed powder compacts were presintered at 1,600 C for 3 h under vacuum, hot isostatically pressed at 1,500--1,700 C for 3 h under 9.8 or 1.96 MPa of argon gas pressure, and then sintered again at 1,750 C for 20 h under vacuum. Although the presintered specimen approached full density after HIP, its optical transmittance was quite low ({approximately}5% at 1,000 nm) because of lack of grain growth. Grain growth was observed in the specimens that were hot isostatically pressed and vacuum sintered at 1,750 C for 20 h, but numerous pores occurred around the surface of these specimens. Consequently, the optical transmittance of Nd:YAG ceramics that were treated by HIP was inferior to that of the same ceramics that were sintered under vacuum only because of light scattering that was caused by the pores (at the grain boundaries) that were produced during the HIP treatment.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 282218
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 79, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
HOT PRESSING
MICROSTRUCTURE
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
FERRITE GARNETS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
NEODYMIUM
SOLID STATE LASERS
LASER MATERIALS
DOPED MATERIALS
POWDERS
BULK DENSITY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
GRAIN GROWTH
POROSITY
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY
LIGHT TRANSMISSION