Fabrication of Silicon Carbide Nanocrystals by Electrical Discharge and Laser-Induced Processes in Solution

The capabilities of the liquid assisted electrical discharge technique with additional laser irradiation of colloids for the synthesis of SiC nanocrystals (NCs) have been studied. For optimization of the conditions for the binary NCs formation, the characterization of inner structure, phase composition and morphology was performed by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The results of the characterization proved the formation of near-spherical SiC NCs having two-peak size distribution with average diameter of 3.7 and 11.4 nm before and 2.3 nm after additional laser treatment. The possible mechanism of nanostructured SiC formation has been discussed. The developed technique is expected to be effective for fabrication of SiC NCs as a promising material for optoelectronic devices.