Reactive Laser-Sintering to Generate Copper-Aluminum-Oxide from Nanoscaled Powders: Optimization of Process Parameters and Elucidation of Mechanisms

Oxide electronics provide a large contemporary field of applications. A challenge is still the provision of appropriate p-conducting oxides. Although the delafossite CuAlO2 is a possible prototype material, it is difficult to produce especially with high phase purity. In the project described here we investigate reactive laser sintering as process to generate CuAlO2 fast and locally confined from nanoscaled oxides as precursors. The project focusses on (i) the identification of process parameter fields for the generation of delafossite CuAlO2 and (ii) the elucidation of formation and sintering mechanisms during reactive laser sintering of CuOx and Al2O3 to CuAlO2, especially by in situ observation using X-ray scattering methods resolved in space and time.