Synthesis of amorphous silicon carbide nanoparticles in a low temperature low pressure plasma reactor.

Commercial scale production of silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm remains a significant challenge. In this paper, a microwave plasma reactor and appropriate reaction conditions have been developed for the synthesis of amorphous SiC nanoparticles. This continuous gas phase process is amenable to large scale production use and utilizes the decomposition of tetramethylsilane (TMS) for both the silicon and the carbon source.