Nitridation of silicon under high pressure

The microstructure of reaction-bonded Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} was changed by nitriding Si powder compacts at 0, 1, and 50 MPa. The microstructural parameters were analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy, XRD, and mercury pressure porosimetry. The influence of the nitriding gas pressure on the ratio of the crystallographic Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} phases {alpha} and {beta}, the pore size distribution, and the resulting mechanical properties has been investigated. High nitrogen pressure promotes the formation of {beta}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and leads to a fine-grained homogeneous microstructure, with improved fracture strength and fracture toughness.