Oxygen and Nitrogen determination in Boron Nitride

Boron Nitride (BN) has become a popular material as it can be used in many fields as varied as semiconductors, photovoltaics, cutting tools, lubrication or even nano tubes depending of its crystallographic form. The success of this manufactured ceramic is due to its excellent heat conductivity, chemical stability, electrical insulation, inertness and, finally, machinability.

Inpurity levels, especially oxygen, can have a negative influence on the mechanical and thermic properties of the ceramic as B₂O₃ is formed at sintering temperature. High purity BN is also needed in semiconductor applications. On the other hand, in the synthesis of c-BN (cubic) from h-BN (hexagonal) a small amount of oxygen is positive as it decreases the conversion temperature and pressure.

This application note will show the relevance of the EMGA-920 to measure high levels of nitrogen while simultaneously determininig low levels of Oxygen with good precision.