Reaction energy, hydrogen/silicon

The reinforcing fibers are usually CVD SiC or modified aluminum oxide. A common matrix material is SiC deposited by chemical-vapor infiltration (CVI) (see Ch. 5). The CVD reaction is based on the decomposition of methyl-trichlorosilane at 1200°C. Densities approaching 90% are reported.b l Another common matrix material is Si3N4 which is deposited by isothermal CVI using the reaction of ammonia and silicon tetrachloride in hydrogen at 1100-1300°C and a total pressure of 5 torr.l" " ] The energy of fracture of such a composite is considerably higher than that of unreinforced hot-pressed silicon nitride. 

The addition reaction of allylsilane to acetaldehyde with BF3 as the Lewis acid has been modeled computationally.95 The lowest-energy TSs found, which are shown in Figure 9.2, were of the synclinal type, with dihedral angles near 60°. Although the structures are acyclic, there is an apparent electrostatic attraction between the fluorine and the silicon that imparts some cyclic character to the TS. Both anti and syn structures were of comparable energy for the model. However, steric effects that arise by replacement of hydrogen on silicon with methyl are likely to favor the anti TS. 

In most cases, CVD reactions are activated thermally, but in some cases, notably in exothermic chemical transport reactions, the substrate temperature is held below that of the feed material to obtain deposition. Other means of activation are available (7), eg, deposition at lower substrate temperatures is obtained by electric-discharge plasma activation. In some cases, unique materials are produced by plasma-assisted CVD (PACVD), such as amorphous silicon from silane where 10—35 mol % hydrogen remains bonded in the solid deposit. Except for the problem of large amounts of energy consumption in its formation, this material is of interest for thin-film solar cells. Passivating films of Si02 or Si02—deposited by PA CVD are of interest in the semiconductor industry (see SEMICONDUCTORS). 

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