(470d) Silicon Particles for on-Chip Energetic Material Applications

Silicon has found increased use as a fuel in energetic materials, largely due to the ability to porosify crystalline silicon and form a high surface area structure. The porous structure, which can also be tuned to higher or lower porosity to tune the reaction, allows for an intimate mixture between fuel and oxidizer allowing for (at times) a very rapid reaction. With several emerging methods for on-chip energetic material deposition including printing, electrophoretic deposition, or evaporation driven assembly, the ability to integrate energetic particle formulations on-chip is becoming more and more intriguing. This study investigates the integration of silicon particles on-chip, with the end goal of creating unique on-chip porous formations. Multiple fabrication methods were utilized, including deposition of porous particles, or deposition of crystalline particles with a secondary porosification step. Interest also lies in creating silicon energetics with metal oxide nanoparticle oxidizers, rather perchlorates which are often used. Analysis includes BET porosimetry, SEM, DSC, and high speed imaging.