Temperature measurements in CO2-laser-induced pyrolysis flames for SiC and ternary SiC/C/B powder synthesis by means of CARS

The hot luminescent reaction zones of CO₂-laser-induced pyrolysis flames using SiH₄/C₂H₂ gas mixtures with different silane to acetylene ratios and with and without diborane additives were investigated by means of H₂ Q-branch CARS spectroscopy, leading to spatial temperature profiles in gas flow direction. In the case of B₂H₆ additive to the stoichiometric SiH₄/C₂H₂ mixture a high temperature plateau ( 800–1000 K) of the reactant gas volume develops already several millimetres before reaching the CO₂-laser focus line. This precursor preheating zone could be explained by the catalytic effect of boron atoms or boron-containing intermediate species in the flame. A similar behaviour for acetylene-rich flames operating at half laser power was not observed.     

Crossover from Mott to Efros-Shklovskii variable range-hopping in Si:P

The low-temperature conductivity of uncompensated insulating Si:P with P concentration just below the metal-insulator (MI) transition shows with decreasingN a crossover from Mott variable range hopping (VRH) to Efros-Shklovskii VRH. From the concentration dependence of the Mott temperatureT _M a correlation-length exponent ν=1.1 is obtained which is compatible with the conductivity exponent μ=1.3 for metallic samples.