Plasma Etching of α-Sialon Ceramics |
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| Authors: | Mamoru Mitomo Yoh-ichiro Sato Nobuo Ayuzawa Isamu Yashima |
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| Affiliation: | National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials, Tsukuba-Shi, Ibaraki 305 Japan;New Materials Research Center, Shinagawa Refractories Company, Bizen-shi, Okayama 705, Japan;Central Research and Development Center, Mitsui Mining Company, Koumachi, Tochigi 328, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Plasma etching of β-Si3N4, α-sialon/β-Si3N4 and α-sialon ceramics were performed with hydrogen glow plasma at 600°C for 10 h. The preferential etching of β-Si3N4 grains was observed. The etching rate of α-sialon grains and of the grain-boundary glassy phase was distinctly lower than that of β-Si3N4 grains. The size, shape, and distribution of β-Si3N4 grains in the α-sialon/β-Si3N4 composite ceramics were revealed by the present method. |
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| Keywords: | plasma etching sialon silicon nitride microstructure |
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