Everything about Silicon Nitride totally explained
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Silicon nitride (Si
3N
4) is a hard, solid substance, that can be obtained by direct reaction between
silicon and
nitrogen at high temperatures. Silicon nitride is the main component in silicon nitride
ceramics, which have relatively good
shock resistance compared to other ceramics.
Rollers made of silicon nitride ceramic are sometimes used in high-end skateboard
bearings, due to the material's shock and heat-resistant characteristics. It is also used as an ignition source for domestic gas appliances, hot surface ignition.
In
microelectronics, silicon nitride is usually formed using
chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, or one of its variants, such as
plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). It is usually used either as an
insulator layer to electrically isolate different structures or as an
etch mask in
bulk micromachining. As a passivation layer for microchips, it's superior to
silicon dioxide, as it's a significantly better
diffusion barrier against water molecules and
sodium ions, two major sources of corrosion and instability in microelectronics. It is also used as a
dielectric between
polysilicon layers in
capacitors in analog chips.
Bulk, monolithic silicon nitride is used as a material for
cutting tools, due to its hardness, thermal stability, and resistance to
wear. It is especially recommended for high speed
machining of
cast iron. For machining of
steel, it's usually coated by
titanium nitride (usually by
CVD) for increased chemical resistance.
Crystal Structure
There exist 3
crystallographic structures of silicon nitride (Si
3N
4), designated as α, β and γ phases. The α and β
phases are the most common forms of Si
3N
4, and can be produced under normal pressure condition. The γ phase can only be synthesized under high pressures and temperatures and has a hardness of 35 GPa.
See crystallographic structure of the α- and β- Si
3N
4 in [http://www.hardmaterials.de/html/alpha-si3n4
fulltext.pdf]
Further Information
Get more info on 'Silicon Nitride'.
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