REACTIVITY OF COMMERCIAL SILICON AND SILICIDES TOWARDS COPPER(I) CHLORIDE - EFFECT OF ALUMINUM, CALCIUM AND IRON ON THE FORMATION OF COPPERSILICIDE

The reaction of CuCl with silicon, containing Al, Fe and Ca as impurit ies, or with silicides (Si2Ca, Si2Fe, Si2Al2Ca, Si8Al6Fe4Ca) has been investigated in the temperature range 200-300 degrees C. For the react ion between CuCl and commercial Si, it was found that, at 282 degrees C, aluminium promotes the reaction between Cu,Si and CuCl while the ra te of consumption of Cu,Si is greatly reduced by the presence of iron. The combined action of these two impurities leads to the formation of more copper-silicon alloy. In the presence of mixed silicides, the re action with CuCl also leads to the formation of Cu3Si. For the quatern ary Al-Ca silicide containing iron the rate of formation of Cu,Si is n ot increased, which allows us to attribute a stabilizing effect to iro n. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.