Wetting and interfacial behavior of Cu-Al/SiC systems: Influences of Si ion implantation and Al concentration

Three doses (5 x 10(15), 1 x 10(16) and 5 x 10(16) ions/cm(2)) of Si ions implantation into Si-terminated 6H-SiC substrate were carried out at an energy of 20 keV at room temperature. The wetting of pristine and Siimplanted 6H-SiC (Si-SiC) substrates by molten pure Cu, Cu-(42.9, 48.7, 70.4)Al alloys and pure Al were performed by the sessile drop technique under vacuum of similar to 4 x 10(-4) Pa at 1373 K. The surface characteristics of SiC substrates and wetting and interfacial behavior of Cu-Al/(Si-)SiC systems were analyzed and discussed. The equilibrium or final contact angles (theta) of Cu-Al/Si-SiC systems were increased more or less with the increase of Si ion implantation dose, and the Si ion implantation can markedly enhance the wettability of Cu-(0, 42.9)Al/SiC systems but weaken that of Cu-(48.7, 70.4, 100)Al/SiC systems. Interestingly, the graphitization phenomenon disappeared at the drop/substrate interface when the Al concentration was over 42.9%, and the Cu-42.9Al alloy cannot wet both the pristine 6H-SiC and Si-SiC substrates. These phenomena further demonstrated that the wetting of metal/SiC systems can be mainly determined by the metal-substrate interactions derived from the metal composition under a vacuum of and surface characteristics of metal drop and ceramic substrate during wetting. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.