Materialographic Microstructural Analysis during the Process Development for the Gas Phase Synthesis of Silicon Carbide

Silicon carbide is a superior material for the manufacturing of semiconductors. This is where the project on the gaseous phase synthesis of SiC components made of carbon precursors comes in. On the basis of graphite substrates and a reaction with thermally evaporated silicon monoxide in the CVI process (chemical vapor infiltration), silicon carbide with strongly process dependent structural composition is formed. The process can be used for the coating of C substrates as well as for the manufacturing of complex components. With the help of new approaches in process development and via detailed materialographic microstructural analysis, the understanding of gaseous phase synthesis was promoted. The transition of different carbon structures in equivalent silicon carbide structures was verified.