硅燃烧过程在天体物理的核融合反应串行中是非常短暂的过程，它发生在质量至少是8-11太阳质量的恒星。对恒星而言，硅燃烧是大质量恒星长期以来以核融合供应能量的最后阶段，是燃料耗尽的生命终点，然后她们就将离开赫罗图上的主序带。它之前的几个阶段是氢、氦、碳、氖、和氧燃烧过程。

当重力收缩使恒星的核心温度升高到27至35亿K的高温时，确实的温度依据恒星的质量来决定，硅燃烧便开始了。当一颗恒星完成了硅燃烧阶段之后，已经不再有燃料可供融合。恒星将发生灾难式的坍塌，并且可能会爆炸成被称为II型的超新星。

In astrophysics, silicon burning is a very brief sequence of nuclear fusion reactions that occur in massive stars with a minimum of about 8-11 solar masses. Silicon burning is the final stage of fusion for massive stars that have run out of the fuels that power them for their long lives in the main sequence on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. It follows the previous stages of hydrogen, helium, carbon, neon and oxygen burning processes.