Abstract

Effects of plasma etching on mixed alpha/beta-sialon ceramics with different alpha/beta-ratio were investigated. A mix of CF4/O-2 in a ratio of 2:1 was chosen as reactive gas. Parameters such as etching time and the material composition were examined. It was shown that beta-grains exhibit a larger etching rate than the grain boundary glassy phase or the cc-grains, generating pockets in a range of few pm. The so created surfaces were characterized both by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in contact mode. These complementary techniques also enabled the determination of the bearing ratio.