Stability of Silicon Carbonitride Phases

Abstract

Important hard phases are included in the quaternary compositional system Si-N-C-B. This paper reviews ternary amorphous and crystalline phases in the system Si-N-C and deliberates on the issue of stability of the binary C 3 N 4 , a hypothetical phase harder than diamond, and instability of nitrides in general. There is a tendency for nitrogen atoms to agglomerate and be released as nitrogen molecules. Stabilization of CN radicals can be achieved through ternary phases: carbonitrides metal-C-N. Ternary Si-N-C phases have been synthesized by pyrolysis of polyorganosilazanes, physical vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition. The crystalline ␣-Si 3 N 4 :C phase can incorporate about 6 at.% C and yields enhancement of hardness and wear resistance. Other crystalline phases contain more carbon, for example, Si 2 CN 4 .

Remote Hydrogen Microwave Plasma CVD of Silicon Carbonitride Films from a Tetramethyldisilazane Source. Part 1: Characterization of the Process and Structure of the Films

“…[2][3][4] Of the various methods used for the fabrication of Si:C:N films, the CVD techniques using organosilicon single-source precursors appeared to be very effective. The Si:C:N films were formed by; thermal CVD from ethylcyclosilazane, [5] hot-wire CVD from hexamethyldisilazane, [6] direct plasma (DP)CVD from hexamethyldisilazane, [7][8][9][10][11] bis(trimethylsilyl)carbodiimide, [10][11][12] and bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane, [13] RPCVD from hexamethyldisilazane, [14][15][16][17] 1-dimethylsilyl-2,2-dimethylhydrazine, [18,19] dimethylbis(2,2-dimethylhydrazino)silane, [18,19] 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane, [20,21] tris(dimethylamino)silane, [22] and (dimethylamino)dimethylsilane.…”

Thermodynamic calculations and kinetic verifications on the chemical vapor deposition process of Si–C–N ceramic from the SiCl3CH3–NH3–H2–Ar precursors

“…Silicon carbonitride (Si-C-N) ceramic is a promising material [13] for its attractive properties, such as corrosion resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, hardness and wide band gap [14][15][16]. Besides, the electronic band gap of 3.8 eV indicates the wide band-gap dielectric of this material [17]. Si-C-N ceramics or Si-B-C-N ceramics fabricated by polymer derived ceramics (PDCs) had shown good EMW absorbing properties after high-temperature treatment [10,18,19].…”

Interfacial structure of oxidized inner pores in precursor-derived Si–C–N ceramics

“…Si-based precursor-derived ceramics (PDC) attract many intentions due to their extraordinary stability at high temperature [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The transformation from organometallic compounds into Si-C-N ceramic systems by pyrolysis offers possibilities to design the materials starting from the monomer level and to synthesis ceramics at relatively low temperature [7][8][9].…”