Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of continuous freestanding SiC(Al) films derived from aluminum-containing polycarbosilane

Continuous freestanding SiC(Al) films were fabricated by melt spinning the aluminum-containing polycarbosilane (A-PCS) precursor. The results showed that the films contained beta-SiC crystals, alpha-SiC nano-crystals, C clusters and small amount of Al4O4C and Al4SiC4. The Al atoms in the films played important roles as both sintering aids and grain growth inhibitor. The PL spectrum showed a wide luminescence band from 320 nm to 440 nm, and the origin of PL centered at 385 nm might be related to the alpha-SiC nano-crystals using quantum size effects. The obtained films are expected to have important applications in MEMS for the environment of high temperature and optoelectronic devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.