Synthesis and characterization of carbon-poor SiC nanowires via vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism

Nanowires growth via vapor-liquid-solid mechanism leads to high-quality SiC nanowires. C content is key issue affecting the morphology and composition of SiC nanowires. Here, we report the synthesis and growth mechanism of 3C-SiC nanowires containing reduced amount of C, which are grown on single-crystal Si via pyrolysis of polycarbosilane (PCS) by adjusting pyrolysis temperature and precursor. SiC nanowires have a diameter of 50 nm, while their thickness is 43.75 µm. High-temperature stability of precursors with multiple side-chain groups has an impact on the reaction rate, in result the solid precursor state and pyrolysis temperature at 1350 °C are beneficial to the formation of pure carbon-poor SiC nanowires.