Chemical vapor deposited boron carbide

Detailed analytical electron microscope (AEM) studies of yellow whiskers produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) show that two basic types of whiskers are produced at low temperatures (between 12000C and 14000C) and low boron to carbon gas ratios. Both whisker types show planar microstructures such as twin planes and stacking faults oriented parallel to, or at a rhombohedral angle to, the growth direction. For both whisker types, the presence of droplet-like terminations containing both Si and Ni indicate that the growth process during CVD is via a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanisms