Eur. Phys. J. B 26, 35-39 (2002)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e20020063

Correlation between compacity distributions in compressed Si powders and in Si sintered pellets

Laboratoire de Métallurgie Physique (UMR 6630) , boulevard P. et M. Curie, bâtiment SP2MI, BP 30179, 86960 Futuroscope Cedex, France

Corresponding author: ^a sylvain.dubois@univ-poitiers.fr

Received: 14 September 2001
Revised: 18 December 2001
Published online: 15 March 2002

Abstract

Resistivity measurements have been performed on silicon powder beds with different thicknesses which were submitted to uniaxial pressure (0–640 MPa). For the smallest thicknesses of the Si pellets, the pressure dependence of conductivity may be described using models based on effective medium theory or strongest stresses network. For largest Si thicknesses, it exists an inhomogeneous distribution of pressure in the granular medium as a consequence of arching effects. It is shown that the conductivity variation with Si powder thickness may be understood using a distribution of conductivity induced by the distribution of pressure. Finally, it is shown that the conductivity of the sintered Si pellets is correlated with the uniaxial compression step.