Neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) is one of the best known and widely used laser materials. Last years showed a big interest in preparation of Nd:YAG ceramics, instead of single crystals. There is a number of reasons, why production of Nd:YAG ceramics can be attractive alternative to Czochralski grown crystals. Reduction of manufacturing time, lower costs or larger size components belong to one of these. Nd:YAG ceramics can be prepared by two methods: reactive sintering of appropriate oxides and sintering of Nd:YAG powders. The second method offers some advantages, like smaller grain size or higher uniformity of material, but at the same time it appears to be more difficult.

The aim of the presented work was to prepare transparent ceramics using Nd:YAG nanopowder prepared by co-precipitation and calcination followed by vacuum sintering. Co-precipitation was conducted using yttrium, aluminum and neodymium nitrates (4N) and ammonium carbonate as precipitant. Reaction temperature was set on 10^oC, 20^oC, 50^oC and 70^oC. As occured only in the case of powder from the highest co-precipitation temperature transparent ceramics was obtained. Detailed studies of phase composition of powders and its precursors, microscopic observations of powders, precursors and ceramics as well as mercury porosimeter measurements of pressed samples were performed to explain the reasons of observed differences.

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