Development and evaluation of die and container materials. Final report

Technical Report · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5074402· OSTI ID:5074402

Specific compositions of high purity silicon aluminum oxynitride (Sialon) and silicon beryllium oxynitride (Sibeon) solid solutions are shown to be promising refractory materials for handling and manipulating solar grade silicon into silicon ribbon. Well controlled processing schedules were developed for fabricating high purity Sialon and Sibeon materials. Essentially the impurity content of the hot pressed ceramics was due only to impurities from the original starting powders. A ceramic shaping die was successfully formed by diamond machining of a hot pressed blank. Projected manufacturing cost estimate for 10/sup 5/ dies per year is $5.4 per die. Evaluation of the interaction of these materials in contact with molten silicon indicates that solid solutions based upon ..beta..-Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ are more stable than those based on Si/sub 2/N/sub 2/O. Sibeon is more resistant to molten silicon attack than Sialon, and both materials should preferably be used in an inert atmosphere rather than under vacuum conditions. This is because removal of oxygen from the silicon melt as SiO enhances the dissolution of aluminum and beryllium. The wetting angles of these materials are low enough (37/sup 0/ for x = 0.75 ..beta..' Sialon and 49/sup 0/ for x = 0.35 Sibeon) for these materials to be considered as both die and container materials.

• Research Organization: Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954876
• OSTI ID: 5074402
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954876-79/2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM NITRIDES
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS
BERYLLIUM NITRIDES
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
CERAMICS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTAINERS
COST
CRUCIBLES
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DIES
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
IMPURITIES
MACHINING
MATERIALS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
REFRACTORIES
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SOLUBILITY
WETTABILITY