Determination of the saturation vapor pressure of silicon by Knudsen cell mass spectrometry

Silicon evaporation has been investigated by high-temperature mass spectrometry, and the saturation vapor pressure of silicon over its melt has been determined over the temperature range from 1739 and 2326 K. The saturation vapor pressure data obtained via silicon evaporation from Knudsen cells made of molybdenum, tungsten, molybdenum disilicide-lined molybdenum, and graphite silicided by the gas-phase method are compared. Among these materials, silicided graphite is the most inert toward silicon vapor. The silicon partial pressures measured in the silicided graphite cell are close to the recommended values.