Wiktionary
silicon burning
n. (context physics astronomy English) the nucleosynthesis process, in stars where temperatures exceed 3x109K, in which silicon undergoes photodisintegration to form fragments which in turn produce elements up to those of atomic number 60, peaking at iron
Usage examples of "silicon burning".
But carbon burning is all finished in a few thousand years, and the final stage of silicon burning lasts only a day or so.