Analysis of Additives on BeO-Doped SiC Ceramics by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy

Abstract

The elemental distribution in BeO-doped pressureless sintered SiC ceramics, with high thermal conductivity (270W/m·K) and high electrical resistivitiy (4×10¹¹Ω·m) was investigated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Intense image of oxygen was observed at the grain boundaries and weak image of Be was detected very close to the positions of oxygen. The intensity contrast of these two elements do not always coincide at all positions. These results suggest that the additive BeO exists at grain boundaries as BeO and/or nonstoichiometric Be oxide.