• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.132-136
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• 2007

Oxidation resistance of sintered ${\beta}-FeSi_{2}$ was investigated at intermediate temperature range in air atmosphere. Fully dense and porous bodies of ${\beta}-FeSi_{2}$ samples were fabricated by using the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). They were annealed at $900^{\circ}C$ for 5days to obtain ${\beta}-FeSi_{2}$ phase. The bulk samples were oxidized at $800,\;900\;and\;950^{\circ}C$ in air atmosphere. The high temperature oxidation tests reveal that amorphous $SiO_{2}$ layer, similar to Si was formed and grew parabolically on ${\beta}-FeSi_{2}$. Accelerated oxidation is not observed as well as cracks and grain boundary oxidation. Granular ${\varepsilon}-FeSi$ was developed below the oxide layer as a result of oxidation of ${\beta}-FeSi_{2}$. Oxidation resistance of sintered ${\beta}-FeSi_{2}$ was excellent for high-temperature thermoelectric application.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.45-48
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• 2008

An epitaxial $\beta-FeSi_2$ structure on Si (001) substrate was calculated by using density functional theory (DFT). Unit cell of orthorhombic $\beta-FeSi_2$ and $\sqrt{2}\times\sqrt{2}\times2$ supercell were calculated to find the energetically favorable structures first. The $\chi$- and y-direction axes of $\beta-FeSi_2$ were changed into y- and z-direction axes to match its structure with that of Si, to minimize the lattice mismatch between $\beta-FeSi_2$ and Si. Distance between the Si (001) surface and the $\beta-FeSi_2$ surface was varied to find an optimum distance between them, resulting in 0.825 $\AA$.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.68-72
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• 2002

The $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ and $\alpha$-$FeSi_2$ single crystals were synthesized by chemical vapour transport (CVT) using iodine as a transporting agent from the commercially available $FeSi_2$ powder. The $FeSi_2$ powder together with iodine were sealed in an evacuated quartz ampoule and the ampoule then being placed in two-zone electrical furnace for growing crystal. The CVT of $FeSi_2$ with iodine yielded $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ and $\alpha$-FeSi$_2$ single crystals at deposition temperature of 750 and $950^{\circ}C$ respectively. The source temperature was $1050^{\circ}C$ in both cases. The crystals of the $\alpha$-FeSi$_2$ phase were typically plate shaped with dimensions of about $10\times 10 \textrm{mm}^2$, whereas the crystals of orthorhombic $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ phase grew predominantly in the fonts of thin needle of about 10 mm in length. The composition of$\alpha$-FeSicrystal determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) resulted in Si-rich $FeSi_{2.58}$ . 57. Furthermore, the CVT $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ crystal was found to be transformed to the high temperature $\alpha$-$FeSi_2$phase above $930^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.132-136
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• 2001

Iron- silicide has been produced by mechanical alloying process and consolidated by hot pressing. As-consolidated iron silicides were consisted of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ phase, and untransformed mixture of $\alpha$-$Fe_2Si_5$ and $\varepsilon$-FeSi phases. Isothermal annealing has been carried out to induce the transformation to a thermoelectric semiconducting $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ phase. The condition for $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ transformation was investigated by utilizing DTA, SEM, TEM and XRD analysis. The phase transformation was shown to be taken place by a vacuum isothermal annealing at $830^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours. The mechanical and thermoelectric properties of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ materials before and after isothermal annealing were characterized in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.618-621
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• 2001

Plate-type $\beta$-FeSi$_2$single crystals were grown using FeSi$_2$, Fe, and Si as starting materials by the chemical transport reaction method. The $\beta$-FeSi$_2$single crystal was an orthorhombic structure. The direct optical energy gap was found to be 0.87eV at 300K. Hall effect shows a n-type conductivity in the $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ single crystal. The electrical resistivity values was 1.608Ωcm and electron mobility was 3x10$^{-1}$ $\textrm{cm}^2$/V.sec at room temperature.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.375-381
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• 2002

N-type ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ with a nominal composition of $Fe_{0.98}Co_{0.02}Si_2$ powders has been produced by mechanical alloying process and consolidated by vacuum hot pressing. As-milled powders were of metastable state and fully transformed to ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase by subsequent isothermal annealing. However, as-consolidated $Fe_{0.98}Co_{0.02}Si_2$ consisted of untransformed mixture of ${\alpha}-Fe_2Si_ 5$ and $\varepsilon$-FeSi phases. Isothermal annealing has been carried out to induce the transformation to a thermoelectric semiconducting ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase. The transformation behavior of ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ was investigated by utilizing DTA, a modified TGA under magnetic field, SEM, and XRD analyses. Isothermal annealing at $830^{\circ}C$ in vacuum led to the thermoelectric semiconducting ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase transformation, but some residual metallic $\alpha$ and $\varepsilon$ phases were unavoidable even after prolonged annealing. Thermoelectric properties were remarkably improved by isothermal annealing due to the transformation from metallic $\alpha$ and $\varepsilon$ phases to semiconducting phases.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2001

The semiconducting ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ compound has been recognized as a thermoelectric material with excel-lent oxidation resistance and stable characteristics at elevated temperature. In the present work, we applied mechanical alloying(MA) technique to produce ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ compound using a mixture of elemental iron and silicon powders. The mechanical alloying was carried out using a Fritsch P-5 planetary mill under Ar gas atmosphere. The MA powders were characterized by the X-ray diffraction with Cu-K $\alpha$ radiation, thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The single ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ phase has been obtained by mechanical alloying of $Fe_{33}Si_{67}$ mixture powders for 120 hrs or for 70 hrs coupled with the subsequent heat treatment up to $700^{\circ}C$. The grain size of ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ powders analyzed by Hall plot method was 44nm.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.07c
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• pp.1500-1502
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• 2001

Plate-type ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ single crystals were grown using $FeSi_2$, Fe, and Si as starting materials by the chemical transport reaction method. The ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ single crystal was an orthorhombic structure. The direct optical energy gap was found to be 0.87eV at 300K. Hall effect shows a n-type conductivity in the ${\beta}-FeSi_2$ single crystal. The electrical resistivity values was 1.608$\Omega$cm and electron mobility was $3{\times}10^{-1}cm^2/V{\cdot}sec$ at room temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.1106-1112
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• 2003

For the purpose of making clear the role of oxygen in the thermoelectric properties of FeSi$_2$, thermoelectric measurements and spectroscopic characterization were conducted for the oxidized specimens fabricated from ($\alpha$+$\varepsilon$)-phases and/or $\beta$-phase. Addition of oxygen to FeSi$_2$ prevented both densification during sintering and transformation from metallic phases to semiconducting phase during annealing treatment. In an specimens, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity decreased with oxidation time. The Seebeck coefficient was positive and small for pure FeSi$_2$. And/or the oxidized specimens fabricated from ($\alpha$+$\varepsilon$)-phases. However, it was negative and showed a maximum peak at about 500 K for the oxidized FeSi$_2$ fabricated from $\beta$-phase. The value of maximum peak increased with oxidation time.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.8 no.7
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• pp.584-590
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• 1998

The microstructures of finely distributed Si-phases in $\beta$-$FeSi_2$ thermoelectric matrix, were produced by heat-treating the melt-cast ingots of single $\alpha$-$Fe_2Si_5$ phase at 730~85$0^{\circ}C$ for 4~20 hours, or by resistance-hot-pressing the mechanically alloyed powders ordinarily consisting of $\varepsilon$-FeSi and Si phases at 760~85$0^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes of composition. $(Fe_{0.98}Mn_{0.02})_xSi_2(x{\leq$}1) The size and interspacing of dispersed Si-phases were able to control within a range of 0.05~0.27$\mu\textrm{m}$ and 0.2~0.6$\mu\textrm{m}$ by variations of heat treatment temperature and sintering temperature as well as the composition. respectively. The dispersion of Si- phases was expected to be effective for the reduction of thermal conductivity responsible for the increment of thermoelectric figure of merit.