Ceramic fibers are being used to improve the mechanical properties of metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites. This paper reports a study of the structural and other microstructural characteristics of silicon nitride whiskers using both conventional TEM and high resolution electron microscopy.The whiskers were grown by T. E. Scott of Michigan Technological University, by passing nitrogen over molten silicon in the presence of a catalyst. The whiskers were ultrasonically dispersed in chloroform and picked up on holey carbon grids. The diameter of some whiskers (<70nm) was small enough to allow direct observation without thinning. Conventional TEM was performed on a Philips EM400T while high resolution imaging was done on a JEOL 200CX microscope with a point to point resolution of 0.23nm.
Sowing the Seeds: Towards Reaping a Harvest Using Social Web Applications in Nanyang Technological University Library
