Atomic-scale assessment of the crystallization onset in silicon carbonitride. Issue 12 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mera, Gabriela; Ishikawa, Ryo; Ionescu, Emanuel; Ikuhara, Yuichi; Riedel, Ralf
• Is Part Of: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. Volume 35:Issue 12(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 3355
• Page End: 3362
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Ceramic materials -- Periodicals; Composite materials -- Periodicals; Matériaux céramiques -- Périodiques; Composites -- Périodiques; Ceramic materials; Composite materials; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 666.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2015.01.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-2219

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <p id="spar0005">Within the present study, atomic-scale electron microscopy investigation on the crystallization behavior of polysilylcarbodiimide-derived SiCN was performed. The as-prepared SiCN sample was found to be homogeneous and consisted of amorphous silicon nitride nano-domains dispersed within an amorphous, highly entangled graphene-like carbon matrix. Annealing of the sample at 1400 °C induced a slight increase of the ordering of the carbon phase. Additionally, the crystallization onset of the silicon nitride has been observed for the first time. In the sample annealed at 1400 °C small nano-clusters with average sizes of 0.8, 1.5 and 2.1 nm (consisting of 30, 180 and 570 atoms, respectively; corresponding to Si₁₂N₁₈, Si₇₂N₁₀₈ and Si₂₂₈N₃₄₂) were imaged and assigned to α-silicon nitride. The crystallization of the amorphous silicon nitride phase into α-Si₃N₄ is thought to occur via diffusion of Si and N, which rely on the presence of large number of dangling bonds in the amorphous SiCN sample.</p> </sec> </abstract>