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Title: Effects of varying oxygen partial pressre on molten silicon: ceramic substrate interactions, final report

Abstract

The objective of the contract is to investigate the interaction of molten silicon with various die and container candidate materials under varying oxygen partial pressures. This has been done by making silicon sessile drop contact angle measurements on the candidate materials to determine the degree to which silicon wets these substances, and subsequently sectioning the post-sessile drop experiment samples and taking photomicrographs of the silicon-substrate interface to observe the degree of surface dissolution and degradation. Several different materials supplied by JPL have been investigated in this manner, i.e., hot pressed silicon nitride (from both Kawecki Berylco, Inc. (KBI) and AVCO), CNTD silicon nitride coated on hot pressed silicon nitride (Chemetal-Eagle Picher), CVD silicon carbide coated on graphite (Ultracarbon), and ..cap omega.. Sialon (Battelle). Results are described. The oxygen concentrations in the EFG silicon ribbon furnace at Mobil Tyco Solar Energy Corp., Waltham, Massachusetts, and in the JPL silicon sessile drop furnace at Pasadena, California, were measured using the portable thoria-yttria solid solution electrolyte oxygen sensor constructed at UMR for this purpose. Oxygen partial pressures of 10/sup -7/ and 10/sup -8/ atm. were obtained for the Mobil Tyco and JPL facilities, respectively.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Missouri Univ., Rolla (USA). Dept. of Ceramic Engineering
OSTI Identifier:
5085141
Report Number(s):
DOE/JPL/955415-2
DOE Contract Number:
NAS-7-100-955415
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CERAMICS; COMPATIBILITY; SILICON; CRYSTAL GROWTH; CONTAINERS; CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES; DIES; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; MATERIALS; MATERIALS TESTING; OXYGEN; SILICON CARBIDES; SILICON NITRIDES; SUBSTRATES; VAPOR PRESSURE; WETTABILITY; ATMOSPHERES; CARBIDES; CARBON COMPOUNDS; ELEMENTS; MICROSCOPY; NITRIDES; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NONMETALS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PNICTIDES; SEMIMETALS; SILICON COMPOUNDS; TESTING; THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES; 140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion; 360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture

Citation Formats

Ownby, P.D., Romero, H.V., and Barsoum, M.W. Effects of varying oxygen partial pressre on molten silicon: ceramic substrate interactions, final report. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/5085141.
Ownby, P.D., Romero, H.V., & Barsoum, M.W. Effects of varying oxygen partial pressre on molten silicon: ceramic substrate interactions, final report. United States. doi:10.2172/5085141.
Ownby, P.D., Romero, H.V., and Barsoum, M.W. Tue . "Effects of varying oxygen partial pressre on molten silicon: ceramic substrate interactions, final report". United States. doi:10.2172/5085141. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5085141.
@article{osti_5085141,
title = {Effects of varying oxygen partial pressre on molten silicon: ceramic substrate interactions, final report},
author = {Ownby, P.D. and Romero, H.V. and Barsoum, M.W.},
abstractNote = {The objective of the contract is to investigate the interaction of molten silicon with various die and container candidate materials under varying oxygen partial pressures. This has been done by making silicon sessile drop contact angle measurements on the candidate materials to determine the degree to which silicon wets these substances, and subsequently sectioning the post-sessile drop experiment samples and taking photomicrographs of the silicon-substrate interface to observe the degree of surface dissolution and degradation. Several different materials supplied by JPL have been investigated in this manner, i.e., hot pressed silicon nitride (from both Kawecki Berylco, Inc. (KBI) and AVCO), CNTD silicon nitride coated on hot pressed silicon nitride (Chemetal-Eagle Picher), CVD silicon carbide coated on graphite (Ultracarbon), and ..cap omega.. Sialon (Battelle). Results are described. The oxygen concentrations in the EFG silicon ribbon furnace at Mobil Tyco Solar Energy Corp., Waltham, Massachusetts, and in the JPL silicon sessile drop furnace at Pasadena, California, were measured using the portable thoria-yttria solid solution electrolyte oxygen sensor constructed at UMR for this purpose. Oxygen partial pressures of 10/sup -7/ and 10/sup -8/ atm. were obtained for the Mobil Tyco and JPL facilities, respectively.},
doi = {10.2172/5085141},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}

Technical Report:

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  • Activity at UMR this quarter has been in three areas: (1) investigation of the devitrification of fused silica under various oxygen partial pressures; (2) construction of a thoriayttria solid solution electrolyte portable oxygen sensor; and (3) theoretical development and application of a method of calculating the surface free energy of ceramic substrates from silicon sessile drop contact angle and oxygen partial pressure measurements. Results are reported. (WHK)
  • A study of the effect of very-high-dose-rate implantation of oxygen into silicon was made. Investigated were possible techniques for increasing throughput for the production of buried oxide layers to make silicon-on-insulator structures. The work utilized dose rates approximately 6 times greater than typical values. Substrates were correspondingly heated to 900-1000 C. At the highest rates, the silicon superficial layer was observed to delaminate at a total dose corresponding to the formation of stoichiometric silicon dioxide. Surface pitting was also observed at intermediate dose rates and temperatures, when no capping layer was used. No apparent damage was observed prior to themore » existence of the buried layer, suggesting that very high dose rates can be sustained during the majority of the implantation cycle.« less
  • The samples of as-received Ti-6%A1-4%V alloys of 3 different oxygen contents ranging from 0.1% to 0.24% have been tested in about 50 shock-wave experiments. In the experiments performed the Hugoniot elastic limit, the spall strength, and the critical diameter for the spall element separation were measured. The peak shock stress was varied from 4 to 75 GPa, the load duration from 10(exp -7) s to 10(exp -5) s. The VISAR free-surface velocity measurements show a growth by 20% in the Hugoniot elastic limit of alloys with increasing the oxygen content from 0.105 up to 0.24%. The measurements have not revealedmore » a notable variations in the spall strength magnitudes as a function of the oxygen content. The spall strength grows by 10 to 20% when the load duration decreases by an order of magnitude. The peak stress in shock wave preceding to spall fracture does not influence the spall strength value. The computer simulation of spall experiments was performed with the 1-D Lagrangian code. The description of the elastic-plastic properties is based on the structural Marzing model. Fracture was calculated using the empirical constitutive relationship which provides quite reasonable description of the spall process.« less
  • The oxidation of spectroscopic-grade graphite in sodium carbonate, sodium carbonate/sodium sulfate mixtures, and sodium chloride melts using oxidizing (air, oxygen, and carbon dioxide) or inert (argon and nitrogen) sparge was investigated between 900 and 1050/sup 0/C. The oxidation rate increased with increasing graphite surface area, increasing melt temperature, and increasing oxygen concentration. The rate, at 900/sup 0/C using air sparge, was faster in pure sodium carbonate than in pure sodium sulfate with the maximum rate observed in mixed melts. At 950/sup 0/C, the oxidation rate was virtually equal in the two pure melts; at >982/sup 0/C, the rate was fastermore » in pure sodium sulfate. In melts containing sodium sulfate, the rate-determining step was apparently the same for reactions conducted in oxidizing and inert atmospheres, with sodium sulfate acting as a catalyst in the former and a reagent in the latter. The overall oxidation rate using air sparge in sodium chloride melt was the slowest of the melts studied; however, the oxygen and temperature dependences suggested that the rate-limiting step was the same as in sodium carbonate melt. Electrochemical evidence for the formation of metallic sodium suggested that a first step in the oxidation process was the reduction of sodium ion by graphite. The positive centers thus generated in the graphite matrix apparently reacted with oxyanions in the melt to produce carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide. The oxidation rate of a graphite electrode using carbon dioxide-containing sparge gas was increased by applying positive potentials and decreased by applying negative potentials, which supports such an ionic mechanism. The initial rates of graphite oxidation using nitrogen or carbon dioxide sparge were approximately equal and were 6.5 times slower than the rate using air in sodium carbonate melt. 51 figures, 9 tables.« less
  • The overall objective of this program is to identify and develop high-throughput, supported-growth methods for producing low-cost, large-area polycrystalline silicon sheet on ceramic, carbon, or reusable substrates. The first method being investigated is the SCIM coating technique. (SCIM is an acronym for Silicon Coating by Inverted Meniscus.) With this technique, a low-cost ceramic substrate is silicon-coated in a continuous manner by passing the substrate over a molten silicon meniscus which is contained in a narrow fused-silica trough. During this reporting period, several mullite substrates were silicon-coated with this method. The best coatings were approximately 100 ..mu..m thick with large columnarmore » grains up to 0.5 cm wide and several cm long. Structural characterization of these coatings shows that these large grains are heavily twinned with boundaries perpendicular to the surface of the layer. Minority-carrier diffusion length measurements made on photodiodes fabricated from these coatings indicate diffusion lengths of about 25 ..mu..m. The short-circuit current densities of the diodes were about 23 mA/cm/sup 2/, with open-circuit voltages of approximately 0.49 V. With the substrates positioned horizontally as they pass over the meniscus trough, instability usually occurs, causing a buildup of molten silicon immediately downstream from the trough. This solicon eventually spills over onto key parts of the coater. By tilting the substrate at angles of 10, 15, and 20/sup 0/, stability can be achieved. A theoretical study of meniscus shapes conducted during this reporting period suggests that with an appropriate trough design and the right pressure and substrate height, a SCIM-coating with horizontal substrates should also be possible.« less