Growth of Hexagonal Columnar Nanograin Structured SiC Thin Films on Silicon Substrates with Graphene-Graphitic Carbon Nanoflakes Templates from Solid Carbon Sources

We report a new method for growing hexagonal columnar nanograin structured silicon carbide (SiC) thin films on silicon substrates by using graphene-graphitic carbon nanoflakes (GGNs) templates from solid carbon sources. The growth was carried out in a conventional low pressure chemical vapor deposition system (LPCVD). The GGNs are small plates with lateral sizes of around 100 nm and overlap each other, and are made up of nanosized multilayer graphene and graphitic carbon matrix (GCM). Long and straight SiC nanograins with hexagonal shapes, and with lateral sizes of around 200-400 nm are synthesized on the GGNs, which form compact SiC thin films.