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Silicon nitride

About: Silicon nitride is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 32678 publications have been published within this topic receiving 413599 citations. The topic is also known as: N₄Si₃.


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Patent
02 Dec 1999
TL;DR: In this article, a method for fabricating a gas separation membrane using MEMS perforations (holes) was proposed. But the perforation can be used to allow chemical components to access both sides of the metal-based layer and temperature sensing devices can also be patterned on the membrane.
Abstract: The present invention relates to gas separation membranes including a metal-based layer (17) having sub-micron scale thicknesses. The metal-based layer (17) can be a palladium alloy supported by ceramic layers such as a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer. By using MEMS, a series of perforations (holes) (11) can be patterned to allow chemical components to access both sides of the metal-based layer. Heaters and temperature sensing devices can also be patterned on the membrane (16). The present invention also relates to a portable power generation system at a chemical microreactor comprising the gas separation membrane. The invention is also directed to a method for fabricating a gas separation membrane. Due to the ability to make chemical microreactors of very small sizes, a series of reactors can be used in combination on a silicon surface to produce an integrated gas membrane device.

131 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that at a higher temperature of 1450°C, YSiO2N and Y4Si2O7N2 in addition to small amounts of Y2SiO5 were present in high concentrations in residual amorphous phases, and in solid solution with Si3N4 and some crystalline grain boundary phases.
Abstract: Densifying silicon nitride with a YSiAlON glass additive produced 99% dense materials by pressureless sintering. Subsequent heat-treating led to nearly complete crystallization of the amorphous intergranular phase. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that for heat treatments at 1350°C, only β-Y2Si2O7 was crystallized at the grain boundaries. At a higher temperature of 1450°C, primarily YSiO2N and Y4Si2O7N2 in addition to small amounts of Y2SiO5 were present. Al existed only in high concentrations in residual amorphous phases, and in solid solution with Si3N4 and some crystalline grain-boundary phases. In four-point flexure tests materials retained up to 73% of their strengths, with strengths of up to 426 MPa, at 1300°C. High-strength retention was due to nearly complete crystallization of the intergranular phase, as well as to the high refractoriness of residual amorphous phases.

131 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
W. van Gelder1, V.E. Hauser1
TL;DR: In this article, the etch rate of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, and silicon in refluxed boiling phosphoric acid was measured as a function of temperature (and concentration) in the range of 140°-200°C.
Abstract: The water content of phosphoric acid in etching silicon nitride and silicon dioxide plays an important role. An increase in water content increases the etch rate of silicon nitride and decreases the etch rate of silicon dioxide. The highest possible temperature for a fixed water content at atmospheric pressure in the system is realized by boiling the liquid and refluxing the vapor phase. Refluxed boiling phosphoric acid at 180°C was found to be a useful etchant for silicon nitride films. The etch rate is 100 Aa/min. Under the same conditions deposited silicon dioxide had an etch rate of 0–25 Aa/min depending on the method of preparation, and elemental silicon 3 Aa/min. Etch rates of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, and silicon in refluxed boiling phosphoric acid were measured as a function of temperature (and concentration) in the range of 140°–200°C. All etch rates increased with temperature. The "apparent" activation energies are 12.7, 27.6, and 26.4 kcal/mole, respectively. The etch rate of silicon nitride in phosphoric acid of constant concentration was measured as a function of temperature only. In this case the "real" activation energy was 22.8 kcal/mole. The difference in etch rate between silicon nitride, deposited silicon dioxide, and silicon offers a technique for etching contact holes in silicon nitride using deposited silicon dioxide as a mask. Such a technique was used successfully in making transistors with silicon nitride over as a junction seal.

131 citations

Patent
13 Jan 2003
TL;DR: In this article, a hermetically sealed semiconductor flip chip and its method of manufacture is described, and the flip chip is attached to a substrate by contact of the exposed portions of the conductive connectors with the terminal pads of the substrate.
Abstract: A hermetically sealed semiconductor flip chip and its method of manufacture is disclosed. The semiconductor flip chip of the present invention is sealed with a silicon nitride layer on an active surface of the flip chip. The silicon nitride layer covers the chip active surface, including bond pads and conductive connectors such as solder balls formed over the bond pads to effect electrical and mechanical connection to terminal pads of a carrier substrate. A portion of the silicon nitride layer is penetrated or removed to expose a portion of each conductive connector. The flip chip is then attached to a substrate by contact of the exposed portions of the conductive connectors with the terminal pads of the substrate. Also included in the invention is the alternative of sealing the flip chip, substrate and intervening connectors with a silicon nitride layer after the attachment of the flip chip to the substrate.

130 citations

Patent
25 Aug 2005
TL;DR: In this paper, a batch reaction chamber is used to form ultra high quality silicon-containing compound layers, e.g., silicon nitride layers, at low temperatures, under reaction rate limited conditions, using trisilane as the silicon precursor.
Abstract: Sequential processes are conducted in a batch reaction chamber to form ultra high quality silicon-containing compound layers, e.g., silicon nitride layers, at low temperatures. Under reaction rate limited conditions, a silicon layer is deposited on a substrate using trisilane as the silicon precursor. Trisilane flow is interrupted. A silicon nitride layer is then formed by nitriding the silicon layer with nitrogen radicals, such as by pulsing the plasma power (remote or in situ) on after a trisilane step. The nitrogen radical supply is stopped. Optionally non-activated ammonia is also supplied, continuously or intermittently. If desired, the process is repeated for greater thickness, purging the reactor after each trisilane and silicon compounding step to avoid gas phase reactions, with each cycle producing about 5-7 angstroms of silicon nitride.

130 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023245
2022529
2021421
2020686
2019994
2018911