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The effect of oriented a-Al 2 O 3 platelets on densification and shrinkage behavior of tape-cast a-Al 2 O 3 during solid-state sintering was studied using dilatometric sintering shrinkage experiments and microstructural characterization. Platelet-free alumina samples exhibit isotropic shrinkage with an B17% linear final shrinkage. The addition of platelets retards densification, and results in anisotropic shrinkage. Initially during sintering, shrinkage is isotropic for platelet-containing systems; however, it becomes highly anisotropic by inhibition of shrinkage in the platelet orientation direction. In the 10 vol% platelet-containing system, shrinkage was B12% in the casting and the transverse directions and B20% in the direction perpendicular to the casting plane. J ournal

While significant progress in modeling of sintering has been accomplished since the original paper by Frenkel "Viscous flow of crystalline bodies under action of surface tension", there are still several issues that remain open. One of them is anisotropy during sintering. In this paper we present some recent developments that improve our understanding of sintering anisotropy based on simulations of a two- dimensional array of particles. A number of possible sources of anisotropy are examined and evaluated.

International audienceThe development of functional devices compatible with standard microelectronic processes is central to the More-than-Moore and Beyond-CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) electronic fields. Devices based on nanowires (NWs) are very promising, but their integration remains complex and submitted to variability limiting the potential scalability. The field of flexible electronics is another one in which the standard microelectronic industry struggles to propose a solution. Despite tremendous progress, organic materials remain highly sensitive to oxygen and humidity and deteriorate under UV irradiation, thus limiting their long-term operation. Here, it is shown that Si NW networks, also called Si nanonets, provide an easy-to-process single answer to develop flexible electronics and NW-based devices. As a major contribution to the state of the art, it is demonstrated that stable Si NW-NW junctions, insensitive to oxidation, can be formed with low variability, which opens up a new route to form reproducible and reliable devices, with long-term performances, presumably over several years, for NW-based or flexible devices using Si as active element