Study of the growth, and effects of filament to substrate distance on the structural and optical properties of Si/SiC core–shell nanowires synthesized by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition

Silicon/silicon carbide (Si/SiC) core–shell nanowires grown on quartz substrates by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition were studied. Nickel was used as a catalyst to induce the growth of these core–shell nanowires followed by the vapor–solid–solid growth mechanism. The nanowires were grown by varying substrate-to-filament distance; d_s-f from 1.9 to 3.1 cm with an interval of 0.4 cm. Lower d_s-f produced a high density of straight core–shell nanowires. A highly crystalline single crystal Si core of the nanowires was produced at lower d_s-f as well. Presence of Si and SiC nano-crystallites embedded within an amorphous matrix in the shell of the nanowires exhibited a high intensity of photoluminescence emission spectra from 600 to 1000 nm. The effects of the d_s-f on the structural and optical properties of the nanowires are discussed. - Highlights: • Growth of Si/SiC core–shell nanowires on Ni nano-templetes. • Atomic hydrogen radicals induced the catalytic growth of the nanowires. • Low substrate to filament distance enhanced the catalytic effect. • Presence of Si nano-crystallites in the shell exhibited strong PL emission