From Powder to Performance: A Review on the Synthesis and Densification of AlN for Advanced Thermal Management

ABSTRACT Aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics are indispensable for high‐power electronics due to their exceptional thermal conductivity and electrical insulation. This review provides a comprehensive and integrated analysis of AlN powder technology, with a specific focus on the causal and deterministic relationship between powder characteristics and final ceramic performance. First, the principal powder synthesis methods (such as direct nitridation, carbothermal reduction, self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis, and chemical vapor deposition) are critically compared, explicitly linking each method's mechanisms and limitations to the resulting powder attributes (purity, particle size, morphology, and surface chemistry). Then, it demonstrates how these powder attributes directly dictate the efficacy of various densification techniques, including pressureless sintering, hot pressing, and spark plasma sintering, and how they govern the evolution of the ceramic's final microstructure and properties. Key powder properties are analyzed in detail, with a focus on strategies for their systematic optimization to meet the demands of specific applications. Finally, the diverse applications of AlN powder are surveyed, illustrating how the tailored properties achieved through the synthesis‐processing chain translate into enabling performance in fields ranging from thermal management and electronic substrates to functional coatings and metallurgical additives. By explicitly tracing the material's journey from its raw powder form to its final functional use, this review aims to serve as a strategic resource for researchers and engineers seeking to advance both the fundamental science and applied technology of this critical material.