Synthesis of silicon carbide nanowires in a catalyst-assisted process

At elevated temperatures, silicon carbide nanowires were synthesized in a catalyst-assisted process using aluminum as a catalyst. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the nanowires are around 20 nm in diameter and around 2 μm in length. High resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that the nanowires are crystalline β-SiC. Raman spectra show the typical features of nano-SiC. A model based on vapor–liquid–solid process is proposed to explain our finding.