Electrical Conductivity and Structural Evolution of Polymer-Derived SiC Ceramics Pyrolyzed From 1200°C to 1800°C

Room temperature (RT) electrical conductivity and microstructure of polymer-derived SiC pyrolyzed at temperatures ranging from 1200 degrees C to 1800 degrees C were studied. We have shown that both free carbon content and pyrolysis temperature have significant effects on the DC conductivity of polymer derived ceramic (PDC) SiC. The RT DC conductivity of the PDC SiC increased gradually with increasing pyrolysis temperature, and it drastically increases 3 orders of magnitude after 1500 degrees C. This high electrical conductivity occurs due to the formation of a network of turbostratic carbon (percolative network). Below the percolation regime, hopping enables the electron movement from one carbon cluster site to another. Microstructural investigation with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the crystal size of SiC increases with increasing pyrolysis temperature, and carbon clusters act as an inhibitor for grain growth at lower pyrolysis temperature. Upon dissociation of clusters, accelerated grain growth occurs and graphitization of carbon occurs along the grains.