Chemical vapour deposition of zirconium phosphide whiskers

Square-pillar single crystals of ZrP with the dimension of ∼15X∼15X3000–5000 μm were obtained by chemical vapour deposition on a quartz substrate at 1050–1250°C using Au, Pt, or Pd metal as an impurity. The effects of temperature, gas composition, and the kind of impurities on the growth rates and morphologies of the crystals are discussed. The electrical resistivity of the whiskers was found to be 1.5X10-2Ω cm along the growth direction 〈100〉, and a considerable oxidation resistance of the whiskers was confirmed in air.