Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
The ways in which iron may affect the reaction between silicon and nitrogen are summarized and considered both in terms of possible mechanisms of the nitridation process and also in terms of the phases produced by the reaction. Some new results are reported that indicate that, in addition to removing an oxide layer from the silicon, or forming an alloy with the silicon, iron can activate the gaseous nitrogen. Other impurities, such as hydrogen in the gas, may also modify the behavior of nitrogen.