SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SIC-H ULTRAFINE POWDER GENERATED INAN ARGON-SILANE-METHANE LOW-PRESSURE RADIOFREQUENCY DISCHARGE

The peculiarity of dusty plasma reactors offers a convenient way to ob tain processed particles at submicronic levels, with successive layers of different materials grown by using pulsed gas flows, and different plasma chemistries in succession. This concept is applied to the synt hesis of silicon carbide (SIC) particles. In this paper two significan t situations are reported showing that particles can be synthesized wi th different properties by varying the process parameters (gas-flow ha ndling, radio-frequency power level). These properties include broad o r narrow size dispersion, almost crystalline or amorphous structure, a nd widely varying Si/C stoichiometry. Monosized particles with high sp ecific surfaces have been obtained by a two-step growth process by usi ng limited radio-frequency power. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physi cs.