Abstract:
By melting Fe-Si flux on a graphite template at 1500℃, 1600℃, 1650℃ and 1750℃ for 3 hours in Ar atmosphere, SiC grains, SiC grain and whisker complex, SiC whiskers and SiC aerial films were obtained, respectively, over the solidified flux. The XRD proves that all of them are 3C-SiC. The TEM and SAED further confirm that the SiC whiskers belong to single crystalline 3C-SiC, and the growth direction is 111. Based on these results, the growth mechanisms for the SiC with different morphologies are proposed. At the low temperature (≤1500℃), Fe enhanced the carbon solubility in the melt, and Si reacted with saturated C by the liquid-solid (LS) mode to produce SiC grains. In the higher temperature range (1500~1750℃), the SiC whiskers were grown by the vapor-liquid- solid (VLS) mode and Fe acted as the catalyst. At the temperature of 1750℃, the SiC aerial film was formed due to also the VLS mode but in a less ordered way.