Abstract
Lithium disilicate (Li2Si2O5) coatings were prepared by spin-coating alkoxide solutions on to substrates [Si, SiO2, polycrystalline (poly) Si, sapphire] and heating isothermally at 500–600 °C. The effects of solution chemistry, coating thickness and substrate type on crystallization behaviour and microstructure development were investigated using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Amorphous dried coatings began to crystallize into Li2Si2O5 at 500–550 °C. Coatings prepared on Si substrates (with a thin native oxide) using Li-Si methoxyethoxide solution crystallized into microstructures with large grain sizes (ca. 2–5 μm diameter) as compared with the coating thickness (<0.3 μm). Nucleation rate in these coatings could be increased (and hence transformation rate increased and grain size decreased) by: (1) adding H2PtCl6to the solution to act as nucleation agent; (2) increasing the thickness of the coating; or (3) using a crystalline substrate (sapphire or poly Si). Coatings prepared using Li-Si ethoxide solution had fine-grained microstructures (⩽0.5 μm diameter) for all substrates. Chemical heterogeneity in the ethoxide system may have increased nucleation rate. Nucleation rate in this system could be decreased by using partially hydrolysed tetraethylorthosilicate as the Si precursor. The relationship between solution chemistry and microstructure was used to tailor microstructures in multilayer coatings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. H. Frey and D. A. Payne, Appl. Phys. Letters 63 (1993) 2753.
L. F. Francis and D. A. Payne, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 74 (1991) 3000.
A. R. Di Giampalolo Conde, M. Puerta, H. Ruiz and J. Lira Olivares, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 147 & 148 (1992) 467.
L. F. Francis, in “Intermetallic and Ceramic Coatings”, edited by T. S. Sudarshan and N. D. Dahotre (Marcel Dekker, New York, in press).
C. J. Brinker and G. W. Scherer, “Sol-gel science: the physics and chemistry of sol-gel processing” (Academic Press, New York, 1990).
R. A. Cairncross, L. F. Francis and L. E. Scriven, Drying Technol. J. 10 (1992) 893.
V. Joshi and M. L. Mecartney, J. Mater. Res. 8 (1992) 2668.
J. L. Keddie, P. V. Braun and E. P. Giannelis, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 77 (1994) 1592.
R. W. Schwartz, J. A. Voigt, C. D. Buchheit and T. J. Boyle, in “Ferroic materials: design, preparation and characteristics”, edited by A. S. Bhalla, K. M. Nair, I. K. Lloyd, H. Yanagida and D. A. Payne (American Ceramic Society, Westerville, OH, 1994) p. 145.
K. Matusita and M. Tashiro, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 11 (1973) 471.
M. C. Weinberg and E. D. Zanotto, ibid. 108 (1989) 99.
A. R. Hyde, G. Partridge and S. Vignesoult, Brit. Ceram. Trans. 92 (1993) 55.
R. Dupree, D. Holland and M. G. Mortuza, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 116 (1990) 148.
G. J. Gardopee, R. E. Nemnham and A. S. Bhalla, Ferroelectrics 33 (1981) 155.
J-M. Wu, W. R. Cannon and C. Panzera, US Patent 4515634.
S. P. Szu, L. C. Klein and M. Greenblatt, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 121 (1990) 90.
P. Li, B. Ferguson and L. F. Francis, J. Mater. Sci. submitted.
E. Preston and W. E. S. Turner, J. Soc. Glass Technol. 18 (1934) 143.
D. E. Veinot, K. B. Langille, D. T. Nguyen and J. O. Bernt, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 127 (1991) 221.
T. Wang, C. Lee and L. D. Schmidt, Surf. Sci. 163 (1985) 181.
I. M. Reaney and D. J. Barber, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 74 (1991) 1635.
P. F. James, Phys. Chem. Glasses 15 (1974) 95.
V. Komppa, ibid. 20 (1979) 130.
M. H. Lewis and G. Smith, J. Mater. Sci. 11 (1976) 2015.
H. D. Keith and F. J. Padden, J. Appl. Phys. 44 (1963) 2409.
E. M. Logothetis and W. J. Kaiser, Sensors and Actuator 4 (1983) 333.
M. C. Weinberg, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 72 (1985) 301.
E. G. Rowland and P. F. James, Phys. Chem. Glasses 20 (1979) 9.
C. V. Thompson, Ann. Rev. Mater. Sci. 20 (1990) 245.
L. L. Hench, S. W. Frieman and D. L. Kinser, Phys. Chem. Glasses 21 (1971) 58.
G. E. Rindone, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 45 (1962) 7.
T. Spalvins and W. A. Brainard, NASA Technical Memorandum 28 (1974) 521.
D. W. Susnitzky and C. B. Carter, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 75 (1992) 2463.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, P., Francis, L.F. Sol-gel processing of lithium disilicate. Journal of Materials Science 30, 6192–6204 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369666
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00369666