Highly-oriented polycrystal 3C-SiC bulks were ultra-fast fabricated via halide chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using tetrachlorosilane (SiCl₄) and methane (CH₄) as precursors. The effects of deposition temperature (Tdep) and total pressure (Ptot) on the orientation and surficial morphology were investigated. The results showed that the growth orientation of 3C-SiC columnar grains was strongly influenced by Tdep. With increasing Tdep, the columnar grains transformed from <111>- to <110>-oriented. The arrangement of <111>-oriented columnar grains was controlled by Ptot. Lotus-, turtle-, thorn-, and strawberry-like surface morphologies were naturally contributed by different arrangements of <111>-oriented grains, and the deposition mechanism was discussed. The wetting behaviors of CVD-SiC samples by molten aluminum were also examined at 1173 K in a high vacuum atmosphere.
Keywords: 3C-SiC; chemical vapor deposition (CVD); orientation; surficial morphology; wettability.