Process for producing high purity silicon nitride by the direct reaction between elemental silicon and nitrogen-hydrogen liquid reactants
US4935214A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 1989 |
| Grant date | Jun 19, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 14, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC01P2006/80
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process is disclosed for producing, at a low temperature, a high purity reaction product consisting essentially of silicon, nitrogen, and hydrogen which can then be heated to produce a high purity alpha silicon nitride. The process comprises: reacting together a particulate elemental high purity silicon with a high purity nitrogen-hydrogen reactant in its liquid state (such as ammonia or hydrazine) having the formula: N.sub.n H.sub.(n+m) wherein: n=1-4 and m=2 when the nitrogen-hydrogen reactant is straight chain, and 0 when the nitrogen-hydrogen reactant is cyclic. High purity silicon nitride can be formed from this intermediate product by heating the intermediate product at a temperature of from about 1200.degree.-1700.degree. C. for a period from about 15 minutes up to about 2 hours to form a high purity alpha silicon nitride product. The discovery of the existence of a soluble Si-N-H intermediate enables chemical pathways to be explored previously unavailable in conventional solid state approaches to silicon-nitrogen ceramics.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.