Silica is an essential mineral found naturally in the earth, plants, and our bodies. It is known to promote bone-building, protect the teeth, and help form collagen.

silicon oxide powder has been used in a variety of applications including semiconductors, fibers, glasses, ceramics, and more. It has a high dielectric constant, mechanical resistance, and chemical selectivity making it an excellent material for use in microelectronics and chromatography.

A method for producing a silicon oxide powder having a BET specific surface area in the range of from 5 to 300 m2/g is presented. The method comprises a depositing step wherein a raw material powder mixture containing a silicon oxide powder is deposited on a substrate surface by heat-treating the deposited particles.

The deposited powder is then cooled to a temperature of between 200 and 400 deg C. This process is repeated for the remainder of the deposited powder.

An apparatus for implementing the inventive method of producing a silicon oxide powder is provided. This apparatus is generally designated at 1 and includes a reaction furnace 10 and a deposition chamber 20 interconnected by a transfer conduit 30 having a muffle 11 disposed therein.

There are a number of amorphous and crystalline forms of silicon dioxide available, which can be produced using the processes of LPCVD and PECVD. Amorphous silicon dioxide is typically characterized by the tetrahedral coordination of each of its atoms to four oxygen atoms.

The crystalline form of silica is generally characterized by a double bond rule, in which each atom of the molecule is covalently bonded to two adjacent oxygen atoms. This tetrahedral structure distinguishes crystalline silicon dioxide from carbon dioxide, which is more linear in nature.

tags: Semiconductors semiconductor industry