Preparation of SiC nanowires with fins by chemical vapor deposition

SiC nanowires with fins have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition in a vertical vacuum furnace by using a powder mixture of milled Si and SiO2 and gaseous CH4 as the raw materials. The products were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These investigations confirm that the nanowires with fins are cubic β-SiC. The diameter of the fins is about 100–120 nm and the diameter of the inner core stems is about 60–70 nm. The formation process of the β-SiC nanowires with fins is analyzed and discussed briefly.