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Title: Characterization of surface-oxidized phase in silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride powders by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Ceramic Society
; ;  [1]
  1. Tokyo Inst. of Tech., Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Inorganic Materials

Surface-oxidized phases on {alpha}-silicon nitride, {beta}-silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride powders were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES). The spectra of Si2p XPS and Si(KLL) XAES were measured precisely and were deconvoluted into some separate peaks, which correspond to each parent phase, a SiO{sub x}N{sub y} oxidized phase, a nonstoichiometric SiN{sub x} nitride phase, and a satellite peak of the parent phase, by the least-squares method. The Auger parameter (AP) was calculated for each phase using the Si2p XPS and Si(KLL) XAES data, and the average chemical compositions of the oxidized phases in each sample were evaluated from the AP data. The chemical compositions of these phases were between those of silica and silicon oxynitride and varied among the samples, but were usually close to SiO{sub 2}. Average thicknesses of the surface-oxidized phases were estimated to be 0.1--0.8 nm from the peak of the XAES spectra, assuming a continuous surface layer model.

OSTI ID:
105998
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 78, Issue 8; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English