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Reaction Sintering Studies of Silicon Carbide

1989; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 48; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/0371750x.1989.10822959

2165-5456

S. Ramanathan, Ram Prasad, C.K. Gupta,

Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Technologies

In reaction sintering of silicon carbide, newly formed grains bind the already existing grains in a compact of silicon carbide and carbon mixture under heating in an atmosphere of silicon vapour. Powders of silicon carbide were prepared and characterized for specific surface area, average particle size and size distribution. The compaction characteristics of the mixtures of different silicon carbide and carbon powders and the optimum compaction pressures for bringing about proper “siliciding” (reaction of silicon vapour and particulate carbon) were studied and evaluated. Siliciding studies were carried out in the temperature range of 1500°–2000°C in argon atmosphere at pressures from 760 torr to 10−1 torr. The sintered specimens were characterized for bulk density by water displacement method and completion of reaction by X-ray diffraction. Sintered densities of the order of 80–85% of the theoretical value could be obtained by optimizing argon partial pressure and increasing the reaction temperature to 2000°C. XRD investigations revealed that a small amount of free silicon was always left behind in the matrix.