Wetting and adhesion of Si on Si3N4 and BN substrates

Wetting, adhesion and reactivity are the principal factors determining the capability of a solid to be used as mould material. In this work wetting of silicon and boron nitrides by molten silicon is studied in neutral gas atmosphere by the sessile drop technique at temperatures close to the silicon melting point. Adhesion is qualified by the behaviour of solidified droplets under the effect of thermo-mechanical stresses generated during cooling at room temperature. The reactivity at silicon/nitride interfaces is studied by scanning electron microscopy and EDX-microanalysis.