Crystallization Behavior of Amorphous Si3N4 and Particle Size Control of the Crystallized α-Si3N4.

Amorphous silicon nitride powder prepared by low-temperature vapor-phase reaction was heat treated at various temperatures for different periods of time to examine the crystallization behavior. The effects of the heat-treatment temperature and duration on the degree of crystallization were investigated along with the effect of the heat-up rate on the particle size, and its distribution, of the crystallized α-phase silicon nitride powder. A phase transition from amorphous to α-phase occurred at a temperature above 1400 degrees C.