Synthesis and growth mechanism of approximate spherical β‐Si3N4 particles via carbothermal reduction‐nitridation method

In this work, an efficient carbothermal reduction‐nitridation (CRN) strategy was rationally designed to directly synthesize β‐Si₃N₄ powders with eminent dispersity and granularity uniformity. With the aid of CaO additive, the obtained β‐Si₃N₄ particles were endowed with approximate spherical morphology and smooth surface. The size of β‐Si₃N₄ particles could be regulated in submicro and microscale by altering N₂ pressures. More significantly, the underlying growth mechanism of the β‐Si₃N₄ under elevated N₂ pressure was comprehensively analyzed and tentatively put forward. Benefiting from the remarkable merits, the as‐synthesized β‐Si₃N₄ powders showed great potential for alternative fillers in the application of high thermal conductivity plastic packages.     

Synthesis of well‐dispersed β‐Si3N4 with equiaxed structures using carbothermal reduction–nitridation method

Well‐dispersed β‐Si₃N₄ powders with a novel equiaxed structure and eminent crystal integrity were prepared by carbothermal reduction–nitridation (CRN) strategy with the assistance of CaF₂ additive. The growth mechanism of Si₃N₄ particles in the CRN process was elucidated. It is proposed that the liquid phase formed by SiO₂ and CaF₂ additive is crucial to the formation of equiaxed β‐Si₃N₄, and with an appropriate content of CaF₂, Si₃N₄ powders with pure β phase, superior dispersity and crystal integrity can be obtained.     

Enhanced thermal conductivity in Si3N4 ceramic with the addition of Y2Si4N6C

Si₃N₄ ceramic was densified at 1900°C for 12 hours under 1 MPa nitrogen pressure, using MgO and self‐synthesized Y₂Si₄N₆C as sintering aids. The microstructures and thermal conductivity of as‐sintered bulk were systematically investigated, in comparison to the counterpart doped with Y₂O₃‐MgO additives. Y₂Si₄N₆C addition induced a higher nitrogen/oxygen atomic ratio in the secondary phase by introducing nitrogen and promoting the elimination of SiO₂, resulting in enlarged grains, reduced lattice oxygen content, increased Si₃N₄‐Si₃N₄ contiguity and more crystallized intergranular phase in the densified Si₃N₄ specimen. Consequently, the substitution of Y₂O₃ by Y₂Si₄N₆C led to a great increase in ~30.4% in thermal conductivity from 92 to 120 W m^?1 K^?1 for Si₃N₄ ceramic.     

Electrical resistivity of Si3N4 ceramics with Yb2O3 additive

Si₃N₄ ceramics with excellent mechanical properties are used for heat dissipation substrates and so on. In order to improve their reliability and expand their application fields, it is desirable to understand and control the electrical properties of Si₃N₄ ceramics. In this study, the electrical resistivity of Si₃N₄ ceramics with Yb₂O₃ additive was investigated by applying various voltages at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 300°C. When Yb₂O₃ was added as a sintering aid to Si₃N₄ ceramics, a crystalline J-phase (Yb₄Si₂O₇N₂) was formed and their electrical resistivity was significantly lower than that of Y₂O₃ additive. The electrical resistivity of the Yb₂O₃-added ceramics decreased with an increase in temperature and applied voltage. Yb existed in multiple valence states, Yb²⁺ and Yb³⁺, in the Si₃N₄ ceramics and the decrease in the electrical resistivity can be attributed hopping conduction through the J-phase. The J-phase in the Si₃N₄ ceramics was observed to be continuous, and percolation analysis suggested that the J-phase formed an infinite cluster. Therefore, the decrease in the electrical resistivity of the Yb₂O₃-added Si₃N₄ ceramics was found mainly to result from the formation of an infinite cluster of J-phase, which exhibits hopping conduction.     

Effects of Gd2O3 and MgSiN2 sintering additives on the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramics

Si₃N₄ ceramics were prepared by gas pressure sintering at 1900°C for 12 h under a nitrogen pressure of 1 MPa using Gd₂O₃ and MgSiN₂ as sintering additives. The effects of the Gd₂O₃/MgSiN₂ ratio on the densification, microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of Si₃N₄ ceramics were systematically investigated. It was found that a low Gd₂O₃/MgSiN₂ ratio facilitated the thermal diffusivity of Si₃N₄ ceramics while a high Gd₂O₃/MgSiN₂ ratio benefited the densification and mechanical properties. When the Gd₂O₃/MgSiN₂ ratio was 1:1, Si₃N₄ ceramics obtained an obvious exaggerated bimodal microstructure and the optimal properties. The thermal conductivity, flexural strength, and fracture toughness were 124 W·m⁻¹·k⁻¹, 648 MPa, and 9.12 MPa·m^1/2, respectively. Comparing with the results in the literature, it was shown that Gd₂O₃-MgSiN₂ was an effective additives system for obtaining Si₃N₄ ceramics with high thermal conductivity and superior mechanical properties.     

Thermal Conductivity of β-Si3N4: II, Effect of Lattice Oxygen

Dense β-Si₃N₄ with various Y₂O₃/SiO₂ additive ratios were fabricated by hot pressing and subsequent annealing. The thermal conductivity of the sintered bodies increased as the Y₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio increased. The oxygen contents in the β-Si₃N₄ crystal lattice of these samples were determined using hot-gas extraction and electron spin resonance techniques. A good correlation between the lattice oxygen content and the thermal resistivity was observed. The relationship between the microstructure, grain-boundary phase, lattice oxygen content, and thermal conductivity of β-Si₃N₄ that was sintered at various Y₂O₃/SiO₂ additive ratios has been clarified.     

Fabrication of Si3N4 ceramics substrates with high thermal conductivity by tape casting and gas pressure sintering

In this paper, high thermal conductivity Si₃N₄ ceramics were successfully fabricated through exploring and optimizing the tape casting process. The impact of various organic additives on the rheological characteristics of Si₃N₄ slurry was explored, and the pore size distribution and microstructure of the green tapes at different solid loadings were investigated, as well as the microstructure of Si₃N₄ ceramics. Green tapes with a narrow pore size distribution, a small average pore size, and a high density of 1.88 g cm⁻³ were prepared by the investigation and optimization of the Si₃N₄ slurry formulation. After gas pressure sintering, Si₃N₄ ceramics with a density of 3.23 g cm⁻³, dimensions of 78 mm × 78 mm, and a thickness of 0.55 mm were obtained. The microstructure of the Si₃N₄ ceramics showed a bimodal distribution and a low content of glassy phases. The thermal conductivity of the Si₃N₄ ceramics was 100.5 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, the flexural strength was 735 ± 24 MPa, and the fracture toughness was 7.17 MPa m^1/2.     

Effect of a new nonoxide additive,Y3Si2C2, on the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramics

Enhancement of the thermal conductivity of silicon nitride is usually achieved by sacrificing its mechanical properties (bending strength). In this study, β-Si₃N₄ ceramics were prepared using self-synthesized Y₃Si₂C₂ and MgO as sintering additives. It was found that the thermal conductivity of the Si₃N₄ ceramics was remarkably improved without sacrificing their mechanical properties. The microstructure and properties of the Si₃N₄ ceramics were analyzed and compared with those of the Y₂O₃-MgO additives. The addition of Y₃Si₂C₂ eliminated the inherent SiO₂ and introduced nitrogen to increase the N/O ratio of the grain-boundary phase, inducing Si₃N₄ grain growth, increasing Si₃N₄ grain contiguity, and reducing lattice oxygen content in Si₃N₄. Therefore, by replacing Y₂O₃ with Y₃Si₂C₂, the thermal conductivity of the Si₃N₄ ceramics was significantly increased by 31.5% from 85 to 111.8Wm⁻¹K⁻¹, but the bending strength only slightly decreased from 704 ± 63MPa to 669 ± 33MPa.     

Equiaxed β–Si3N4 ceramics prepared by rapid reaction‐bonding and post‐sintering using TiO2–Y2O3–Al2O3 additives

Sintered reaction‐bonded Si₃N₄ ceramics with equiaxed microstructure were prepared with TiO₂–Y₂O₃–Al₂O₃ additions by rapid nitridation at 1400°C for 2 hours and subsequent post‐sintering at 1850°C for 2 hours under N₂ pressure of 3 MPa. It was found that α–Si₃N₄, β–Si₃N₄, Si₂N₂O, and TiN phases were formed by rapid nitridation of Si powders with single TiO₂ additives. However, the combination of TiO₂ and Y₂O₃–Al₂O₃ additives led to the formation of 100% β–Si₃N₄ phase from the nitridation of Si powders at such low temperature (1400°C), and the removal of Si₂N₂O phase. As a result, dense β–Si₃N₄ ceramics with equiaxed microstructure were obtained after post‐sintering at high temperature.     

Texture,microstructures, and mechanical properties of AlN‐based ceramics with Si3N4–Y2O3 additives

Textured AlN‐based ceramics with improved mechanical properties were prepared by hot pressing using Si₃N₄ and Y₂O₃ as additives. The introduction of Si₃N₄–Y₂O₃ into AlN matrix led to the formation of secondary Y₃AlSi₂O₇N₂ and fiber‐like 2H^δ AlN‐polytypoid phases, the partial texture of all crystalline phases, and the fracture mode change from intergranular to transgranular. Consequently, Vickers hardness, fracture toughness and flexural strength of AlN‐based ceramics by the replacement of Y₂O₃ by Si₃N₄–Y₂O₃ increased significantly from 10.4±0.3 GPa, 2.4±0.3 MPa m^½ and 333.3±10.3 MPa to 14.2±0.4 GPa, 3.4±0.1 MPa m^½ and 389.5±45.5 MPa, respectively.     

Preparation and mechanical properties of Si3N4 nanocomposites reinforced by Si3N4@rGO particles

A new type of reduced graphene oxide-encapsulated silicon nitride (Si₃N₄@rGO) particle was synthesized via an electrostatic interaction between amino-functionalized Si₃N₄ particles and graphene oxide (GO). Subsequently, the Si₃N₄@rGO particles were incorporated into a Si₃N₄ matrix as a reinforcing phase to prepare nanocomposites, and their influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Si₃N₄ ceramics was investigated in detail. The microstructure analysis showed that the rGO sheets were uniformly distributed throughout the matrix and firmly bonded to the Si₃N₄ grains to form a three-dimensional carbon network structure. This unique structure effectively increased the contact area and load transfer efficiency between the rGO sheets and the matrix, which in turn had a significant impact on the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. The results showed that the nanocomposites with 2.25 wt.% rGO sheets exhibited mechanical properties that were superior to monolithic Si₃N₄; the flexural strength increased by 83.5% and reached a maximum value of 1116.4 MPa, and the fracture toughness increased by 67.7% to 10.35 MPa·m^1/2.     

Silicon nitridation mechanism in reaction‐bonded Si3N4–SiC and Si3N4‐bonded ferrosilicon nitride

Reaction‐bonded Si₃N₄–SiC and Si₃N₄‐bonded ferrosilicon nitride, with Si powder, SiC particles and Fe₃Si–Si₃N₄ particles as raw materials, respectively, are prepared in flame‐isolation nitridation shuttle kiln with flowing N₂ at 1723K. There is columnar β‐Si₃N₄ in both Si₃N₄–SiC and Si₃N₄‐bonded ferrosilicon nitride. However, fibrous α‐Si₃N₄ is only observed in Si₃N₄–SiC and Si₃N₄‐bonded ferrosilicon nitride contains much more Si₂N₂O than Si₃N₄–SiC. By analyzing the oxidation thermodynamics of Si and Si₃N₄, it is known that in the process of producing Si₃N₄–SiC, Si is oxidized first to gaseous SiO and fibrous α‐Si₃N₄ is generated with SiO and N₂. The existence of SiO is the reason of low silicon nitridation rate. But in the process of producing Si₃N₄‐bonded ferrosilicon nitride, Si₃N₄ is easier to be oxidized than Si and Si₂N₂O is generated on the surface of Si₃N₄ hexagonal prisms in ferrosilicon nitride particles. Meanwhile, Si in raw materials forms new ferrosilicon alloys with Fe₃Si, which decreases the temperature of liquid appearance and blocks some open pores in the samples, which stops the matter loss of nitridation. Liquid ferrosilicon alloys favors β‐Si₃N₄ generation from Si direct nitridation and fibrous α‐Si₃N₄ transformation, which used to exist in ferrosilicon nitride raw materials.     

Architectural design and cryogenic synthesis of Si3N4@(TiN–Si3N4) for high conductivity

Si₃N₄@(TiN–Si₃N₄) composites with heteroshelled structure were designed for enhanced conductivity and successfully synthesized through the simultaneous reduction and in‐situ cocoating process in liquid ammonia at around ?40°C. The heteroshells were composed of nanosized TiN and Si₃N₄ particles, which were amorphous with the size ranging from 10 to 40 nm. Using spark plasma sintering, dense bulk composite with >98.1% relative density of theoretical value were obtained and their electrical conductivity were increased to an adequate value (6.62 × 10² S·cm^?1) for electrical discharge machining by compositing 15 vol% TiN to Si₃N₄, which is superior to the previous reports. The excellent electric performance could be attributed to the heteroshelled structure which guarantees the conductive network can be formed and kept with minimal TiN content. The nanosized Si₃N₄ powders in the shells reduce the content of conductive powders and limit the growth of TiN particles.     

On the fabrication and mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramics with low content sintering additives

Si₃N₄ ceramics were prepared by hot pressing (HP) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) methods using low content (5 mol%) Al₂O₃–RE₂O₃(RE = Y, Yb, and La)–SiO₂/TiN as sintering additives/secondary additives. The effects of sintering additives and sintering methods on the composition, microstructures, and mechanical properties (hardness and fracture toughness) were investigated. The results show that fully density Si₃N₄ ceramics could be fabricated by rational tailoring of sintering additives and sintering method, and TiN secondary additive could promote the density during HP and SPS. Besides, SN-AYS-SPS possesses the most competitive mechanical properties among all the as-prepared ceramics with the Vickers hardness as 17.31 ± .43 GPa and fracture toughness as 11.07 ± .48 MPa m^1/2.     

不同烧结助剂制备的Si_3N_4陶瓷的氧化行为

以α-Si3N4粉末为原料,分别以Y2O3-La2O3和Y2O3-CeO2为烧结助剂,利用热压烧结法制备了Si3N4陶瓷。研究了Si3N4陶瓷样品在空气中高温下的氧化行为。结果表明:原始的α-Si3N4在烧结过程中完全转化为β-Si3N4。在1000～1350℃氧化100h后,用Y2O3-La2O3烧结助剂制备的样品表现为质量增加趋势,质量变化小于0.389mg/cm2,其氧化过程符合抛物线规律。用Y2O3-CeO2烧结助剂制备的样品,在1000℃氧化后表现为质量减小,为-0.248mg/cm2;在1230℃和1350℃表现为质量增加,分别为0.024mg/cm2和0.219mg/cm2,并且其氧化过程不符合抛物线规律。样品的氧化过程主要受2个扩散过程的控制,即稀土元素的向外扩散与氧的向内扩散。     

Synthesis of Si3N4 whiskers by rapid nitridation of silicon droplets

Belt-like β-Si₃N whiskers were successfully synthesized by nitriding of liquid silicon without catalysts at 1500°C by using micron-sized silicon powders within 10 minutes. Silicon droplets formed by the melting of silicon particles greatly facilitates the diffusion of nitrogen. Several whiskers cling together to form a whisker-cluster. The whisker-clustermorphology results from nitriding of separate silicon droplets. The growth of the belt-like β-Si₃N₄ whisker was controlled by vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. The synthesis of silicon nitride whiskers can be effectively improved by nitriding liquid phase silicon.     

晶体硅铸锭用氮化硅涂层失效机理及改性研究

氮化硅涂层是多晶硅铸锭必不可少的脱模剂,新型高效多晶硅铸锭对氮化硅涂层提出更高的要求。重点研究了氮化硅涂层在新型高效多晶硅铸锭过程中的失效机理,结果显示,氮化硅的碳化是导致氮化硅涂层与硅熔体间非浸润性降低,以及氮化硅涂层失效的主要原因。采用改进的溶胶-凝胶法（Sol-Gel）结合表面无碳处理制备增强型氮化硅涂层,该涂层在铸锭实验中显示出较高的强度及与硅熔体间良好的非浸润性,能够很好地满足新型高效多晶硅对氮化硅涂层的要求。     

常压烧结Si3N4-MgO-Y2O3-CeO2陶瓷的研究

本研究了Si3N4-MgO—Y2O3-CeO2陶瓷的烧结过程和微观结构,常压烧结氮化硅陶瓷的致密化主要通过液相烧结实现。微观分析结果表明,氮化硅烧结体的显微结构为等轴状的α—Si3N4和长柱状的β—Si3N4相互交织,这种结构有利于提高烧结体的强度和韧性。     

HfO2辅助法制备Si3N4纳米带及其光致发光性质

本文以氮化硅(Si3N4)和氧化铪(HfO2)为原料,在N2气氛条件下于1700℃直接热处理合成了大量的Si3N4纳米带.采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)等方法对样品的物相、微观结构进行了表征.结果表明:合成的Si3N4纳米带厚约50 nm,长达数百微米,纯度高且结晶好.纳米带沿α-Si3N4的[201]方向生长,属于气-固(VS)生长机制.Si3N4纳米带在360～ 496 nm范围内具有较强的发射峰,表明所合成的Si3N4纳米带具有优异的光致发光性质,在光电纳米器件中具有潜在的应用前景.     

Investigation on thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramics via one-step sintering

High thermal conductivity Si₃N₄ ceramics were fabricated using a one-step method consisting of reaction-bonded Si₃N₄ (RBSN) and post-sintering. The influence of Si content on nitridation rate, β/(α+β) phase rate, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties was investigated in this work. It is of special interest to note that the thermal conductivity showed a tendency to increase first and then decrease with increasing Si content. This experimental result shows that the optimal thermal conductivity and fracture toughness were obtained to be 66 W (m K)^-1 and 12.0 MPa m^1/2, respectively. As a comparison, the nitridation rate and β/(α+β) phase rate in a static pressure nitriding system, i.e., 97% (MS10), 97% (MS15), 97% (MS20) and 8.3% (MS10), 8.3% (MS15), 8.9% (MS20), respectively, have obvious advantages over those in a flowing nitriding system, i.e., 91% (MS10), 91% (MS15), 93% (MS20) and 3.1% (MS10), 3.3% (MS15), 3.3% (MS20), respectively. Moreover, high lattice integrity of the β-Si₃N₄ phase was observed, which can effectively confine O atoms into the β-Si₃N₄ lattice using MgO as a sintering additive. This result indicates that one-step sintering can provide a new route to prepare Si₃N₄ ceramics with a good combination of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties.