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CVD Si3N4 on single crystal SiC: Part I. Characterization and orientation relationship at the interface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 June 2016
Abstract
Si3N4 deposited by CVD on the surface of single crystal SiC was studied by SEM, x-ray diffraction, and TEM techniques. Characterization of the thick Si3N4 deposit was made by SEM and x-ray diffraction. The main emphasis, however, was on the analysis of the Si3N4/SiC interface and this analysis was carried out by electron diffraction studies in TEM. Both x-ray diffraction and TEM studies revealed that the CVD Si3N4 deposit has almost entirely the α-form except for occasional large β crystals. The structure of the SiC substrate in the interior was 6H but the surface structure close to the interface was always microtwinned β. Diffraction studies of the bulk Si3N4 deposit showed not only the presence of preferred growth directions but also different growth orientations near the substrate interface. TEM investigations at the interface also revealed that preferred growth orientations at the Si3N4/SiC interface are different from those in the bulk. The prominent orientation relationship at the interface is [0001]Si3N4//[101]SiC; Si3N4//SiC; a second one, namely Si3N4//[101]SiC; Si3N4//SiC relationship was also occasionally observed. Microindentation tests at the interface indicated that the Si3N4/SiC interface bonding is strong at ambient temperatures but weakens at high temperatures.
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