| 摘要 |
Described herein is a method and apparatus for continuously growing single crystal whiskers of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide and boron nitride by the VLS process under controlled reaction conditions. A growth substrate such as a plate of solid graphite is coated with a suitable VLS catalyst and is conveyed through a tubular furnace, into which is separately introduced two feed gases. The first feed gas contains a cationic suboxide precursor such as silicon monoxide or boron monoxide. The second feed gas contains an anionic precursor compound such as methane or ammonia. The precursor compounds react upon exposure to the catalyst by the VLS process to produce crystalline whiskers. The associated apparatus includes a conveyor assembly that continuously circulates multiple substrate growth plates through the furnace and past a harvesting device which brushes the whiskers from the plates and removes them by vacuum collection. Whiskers of uniform size, shape, and purity are produced.
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