Fabrication and characterization of highly thermal conductive Si3N4/diamond composite materials

A novel composite materials using silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) as the substrate and diamond particles as the reinforcement phase were developed to increase both thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. The Ti coating on the surfaces of the diamond particles facilitated the formation of a titanium carbonitride (TiC i N 1-i ) interface between the two constituents during sintering, creating a strong bonding for high thermal conduction at the diamond-Si 3 N 4 interface and inhibiting the graphitization of diamond during the sintering process. Furthermore, a sandwiched material design was made whereby Si 3 N 4 and Si 3 N 4 /Ti-coated diamond layers were stacked alternately to endow the composites with a directional heat conduction characteristic. The thermal conductivity of the fabricated Si 3 N 4 /diamond composites increased by up to 272.87 % compared to that of commercially available Si 3 N 4 , making them excellent candidates for thermal management materials required in high-performance electronic devices.