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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to examine the SiC/Al interfaces in microwave joined Si-SiC/Al/Si-SiC and α-SiC/Al/α-SiC. Both the SiC/Al interfaces display intimate contact between the ceramic and metal and are free of porosity. EPMA of the α-SiC/Al/α-SiC joints reveals that no Al has diffused into the bulk α-SiC, unlike the reported diffusion of Al in Si-SiC/Al/Si-SiC. The TEM investigations show that while the Si-SiC/Al/Si-SiC interface is reaction-free, the α-SiC/Al/α-SiC joint contains Si at the interface. The TEM findings are correlated to the strength data available on these joints and the possible reasons for the presence of Si in the absence of Al4C3 in the α-SiC/Al/α-SiC joint are discussed.