Microstructure and infrared spectral properties of porous polycrystalline and nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide

摘要

We investigated the structural and infrared spectral properties of porous polycrystalline 3C-SiC and 3C-SiC nanoparticles produced via electrochemical method. The porous sample consisted of parallel nanowires with periodic beadlike structures. It exhibited infrared spectral features quite different from that of single crystal. The 3C-SiC crystallites with an average size of 4 nm showed simple surface chemistry with the surfaces well passivated by dissociation of surrounding water molecules. Our result explains the distinctive optical properties in porous polycrystalline and nanocrystalline 3C-SiC and reveals the crucial conditions for quantum confinement photoluminescence to arise.