We investigated the optimal conditions for the manufacture of a rapid SiC heating element with increased durability for a flip chip bonder. In the moulding step prior to the sintering of the SiC heating element, a pressure of either 25 or 125 MPa was applied by uniaxial pressing to control the micropores; this was aimed at improving the resistance of the ultimate specimen. The moulded specimen was sintered by using a vacuum furnace with silicon as a sintering additive. The measurement of the hot modulus of rupture (HMOR) of the resulting SiC sintered body revealed that the HMOR was high. In addition, a method for protecting the heating element from the external environment was developed. A glassy coating layer was deposited on the surface of the structure to improve the corrosion resistance of the sintered body; further, the performance of the coating layer was verified through a neutral and acidic salt spray test. Finally, we established the optimal process conditions for manufacturing a rapid SiC heating element with improved corrosion resistance.

Keywords: Heating element, Silicon carbide, Glass coating, Corrosion resistance