Mechanical properties of single-crystal {alpha}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Journal of the American Ceramic Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1996.tb08938.x· OSTI ID:382456

Reimanis, I E ^[1]; Suematsu, H ^[2]; Petrovic, J J; Mitchell, T E ^[3]

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1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
2. National Inst. for Research in Inorganic Materials, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)
3. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Materials Science and Technology Div.

Single crystals of {alpha}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} several millimeters in diameter and several millimeters long have been grown by chemical vapor deposition. Some of the microstructural and mechanical properties have been evaluated using X-ray diffractometry, optical and transmission electron microscopy, and high-temperature microhardness testing. The crystallographic growth direction determines the quality of the crystals, including the density of internal microcracks and the nature and quantity of special boundaries. The measurement of crack lengths associated with microindentations has shown that cleavage in {alpha}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} is relatively isotropic. Finally, indentation fracture toughness values agree well with theoretical predictions based on recent bond-energy calculations.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 382456
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 79; ISSN 0002-7820; ISSN JACTAW
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CLEAVAGE
CRACKS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEFECTS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
ISOTROPY
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROHARDNESS
MICROSTRUCTURE
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
SILICON NITRIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION