On particle coarsening during sintering of silicon

✍ Scribed by N.J. Shaw; A.H. Heuer

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1983
• Weight: 941 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-6160
• DOI: 10.1016/0001-6160(83)90063-9

✦ Synopsis

Pore and particle coarsening during sintering of "non-densifying" undoped silimn powder has been studied. Hydrogen ambients during sin&ring retard coarsening compared to helium ambients. In both cases, neck formation is bclicved to occur via vapor transport. In helium, silicon monoxide (SiO) is the principle volatile species and forms via the reaction Si + SiO, + SiO(g). (The silica (SiO,) is present as a thin layer on all the silicon particks.) Hydrogen "getters" the oxygen and silane (SiH,) becomes the most important vapor species. The diminished coarsening in hydrogen compared to helium is attributed to the low condensation coefficient of silane. Iron impurity in silicon also enhances coarsening. In this case, iron causes liquid phase sintering through the aegis of a low melting iron-silicon eutectic.