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The etching behaviour of silicon carbide compacts
Author(s) -
Jepps N. W.,
Page T. F.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1981.tb02485.x
Subject(s) - etching (microfabrication) , materials science , silicon carbide , impurity , scanning electron microscope , oxidizing agent , crystallography , transmission electron microscopy , carbide , silicon , characterization (materials science) , metallurgy , mineralogy , composite material , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , layer (electronics)
SUMMARY A series of microstructural investigations has been undertaken in order to explore the reliability of particular etches in revealing microstructural detail in silicon carbide compacts. A series of specimens has been etched and examined following complete prior microstructural characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffractometry techniques. In particular, the sensitivity of both a molten salt (KOH/KNO 3 ) etch and a commonly‐used oxidizing electrolytic ‘colour’ etch to crystal purity, crystallographic orientation and polytypic structure has been established. The molten salt etch was found to be sensitive to grain boundaries and stacking disorder while the electrolytic etch was found to be primarily sensitive to local purity and crystallographic orientation. Neither etch appeared intrinsically polytype sensitive. Specifically, for the ‘colour’ etch, the p‐ or n‐type character of impure regions appears critical in controlling etching behaviour; p‐type impurities inhibiting, and n‐type impurities enhancing, oxidation. The need to interpret etching behaviour in a manner consistent with the results obtained by a variety of other microstructural techniques will be emphasized.