Overcoming the hardness-toughness trade-off in silicon nitride via grain boundary engineering with in situ nanowire growth and glass crystallization

Key Points

• Improved hardness and toughness achieved with specific grain boundary modifications, enhancing material performance.
• Important metrics include a notable increase in toughness without sacrificing hardness in silicon nitride.
• The approach leverages in situ nanowire growth and glass crystallization as core techniques for material enhancement.
• Results may enable better applications of silicon nitride in various fields, although further testing is necessary.