Synthesis and growth mechanism of silicon-based nanostructures from polysiloxane via CVD process

The work is concerned with the deposition of ceramic layers of various morphologies, containing silicon and nitrogen, from a polysiloxane precursor in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The experiments involved the saturation of nitrogen as a gaseous carrier with polysiloxane molecules in the CVD reaction. Saturated nitrogen was supplied to the reaction zone and depending on the synthesis temperature (1000–1800 °C) and the concentration of resin in gas phase, various nanocrystalline and amorphous deposits were obtained on graphite foil, including polygranulated SiOC powders, fibrous layers composed of nanofibers (NFs) containing silicon and nitrogen, nanochains and composite fibrous components. The morphology, structure and chemical composition of the deposits formed in the CVD reaction changed with increasing temperature. Above 1300 °C, oxygen in the silicon oxycarbide deposits was gradually replaced by nitrogen, creating SiN bonds. The dominant phase in the deposits obtained in the temperature range of 1700–1800 °C were two-phase silicon oxynitride NFs. The core of these NFs consisted of a polycrystalline structure surrounded by an amorphous shell. These structures grew preferentially in the [111] direction through heterogeneous nucleation in the vapor-solid process (VS). The changes in deposits morphology were influenced by the CVD temperature and the resin content in the gas carrier. The activation energy of the crystallization process of silicon oxynitride nanofibers was approximately 96 kJ/mol.