DOPING OF CHEMICALLY VAPOR DEPOSITED SILICON CARBIDE TO ENHANCE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY

SILICON CARBIDE-SILICON CARBIDE (SIC/SIC) COMPOSITES HOLD SIGNIFICANT PROMISE FOR USE IN FUSION ENERGY SYSTEMS. EVEN GREATER OPPORTUNITY EXITS IF THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF THE CHEMICALLY VAPOR INFILTRATED (CVI) MARIX COULD BE IMPROVED. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF HOT PRESSED SIC CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED USING SELECT DOPANTS. THIS PHASE I PROGRAM WILL INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF SELECT DOPANTS ON THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF CHEMICALLY VAPOR DEPOSITED (CVD) SIC. THE DOPANTS WILL BE CODEPOSITED AND THEIR CONCENTRATION EFFECTS ON THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF CVD SIC WILL BE ESTABLISHED. ONE DOPANT WILL BE SELECTED AND FURTHER OPTIMIZED WITH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MEASURED TO 1200 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. FEASIBILITY WILL BE DEMONSTRATED IF THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A CVI SIC MATRIX CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED THROUGH CODEPOSITION OF DOPANTS.