Nonthermal plasma synthesis of silicon carbonitride

The use of a low-temperature plasma for the synthesis amorphous silicon carbonitride (SiCN) nanoparticles enables realization sintered bulk samples with high thermal stability. Amorphous SiCN are produced from mixture silane, methane, and ammonia utilizing mid-pressure, radio-frequency, continuous flow reactor. Particle characterization shows that largely some crystalline carbide domains <10 nm in size. Compositional tuning, controlled by varying precursor rates, coupled uniform mixing elements at nanoscale, results resist crystallization even when temperatures as 2000°C. This study suggests has great potential to produce structural materials application harsh environments.