Straight β-SIC nanorods synthesized by using C-Si-SiO₂

Straight beta-silicon carbide nanorods have been grown on silicon wafers using hot filament chemical vapor deposition with iron particles as catalyst. A plate made of a C-Si-SiO₂ powder mixture was used as carbon and silicon sources. Hydrogen, which was the only gas fed into the deposition system, acts both as a reactant and as a mass transporting medium. The diameter of the β-SiC nanorod ranged from 20 to 70 nm, while its length was approximately 1 μm. A growth mechanism of beta-silicon carbide nanorods was proposed. The field emission properties of the beta-silicon carbide nanorods grown on the silicon substrate are also reported. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.