Straight beta-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 beta-SiC nanorod ranged from 20 to 70 nm, while its length was approximately 1 mu m. 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. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03203-4]