Efficient processing of reaction-sintered silicon carbide by anodically oxidation-assisted polishing

Abstract

Abstract. Reaction-sintered silicon carbide (RS-SiC) is a promising optical material for the space telescope systems. Anodically oxidation-assisted polishing is a method to machine RS-SiC. The electrolyte used in this study is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), and the oxidation potential has two modes: constant potential and high-frequency-square-wave potential. Oxide morphologies are compared by scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and scanning white-light interferometer. The results indicate that anodic oxidation under constant potential can not only obtain a relatively smooth surface but also be propitious to obtain high material removal rate. The oxidation depth in anodic oxidation under constant potential is calculated by comparing surface morphologies before and after hydrofluoric acid etching. The theoretical oxidation rate is 5.3 nm∕s based on the linear Deal-Grove model. Polishing of the oxidized RS-SiC is conducted to validate the machinability of the oxide layer. The obtained surface roughness root-mean-square is around 4.5 nm. Thus, anodically oxidation-assisted polishing can be considered as an efficient method, which can fill the performance gap between the rough figuring and fine finishing of RS-SiC. It can improve the machining quality of RS-SiC parts and promote the application of RS-SiC products. © The Authors.Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

Preliminary study on atmospheric-pressure plasma-based chemical dry figuring and finishing of reaction-sintered silicon carbide

“…3,4 What is more, the fabrication process of RS-SiC generates SiC and Si domains in the RS-SiC substrate, and the asymmetric components make it difficult to obtain a high surface quality in the fine finishing of RS-SiC. 5,6 Along with the increasing demands of RS-SiC products with high quality, it is urgently required to develop unique processing techniques.…”