MODIFIED ALUMINUM NITRIDE SINTERED BODY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

Disclosed is a method for easily producing a modified aluminum nitride sintered body, which has extremely excellent light transmission characteristics and can be suitably used as a light-transmitting cover particularly for a light source having high luminous efficiency, with high yield. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing a modified aluminum nitride sintered body, which is characterized in that an aluminum nitride sintered body having an impurity metal concentration other than aluminum of not more than 150 ppm, an oxygen concentration of not more than 0.5% by weight and a relative density of not less than 95% is used as a starting material, and the aluminum nitride sintered body is subjected to a heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature within the range of 1400-2000°C for increasing the oxygen concentration by 0.03-0.3% by weight.