Crystallographic orientation in bulk polycrystalline silicon carbide produced by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process

Polycrystalline, theoretically dense silicon carbide was deposited onto graphite substrates via the reductive pyrolysis of methyltrichlorosilane in a hot-walled chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber. The resulting product can be considered a bulk material with deposit thicknesses in the range of 4 to 8 millimeters. The material was characterized using powder x-ray diffraction and Laue back-reflection techniques. Under the deposition conditions investigated in this study, the crystallographic orientation varied as a function of distance from the substrate. The material exhibited a high degree of randomness in proximity to the substrate, and progressively showed a higher degree of preferred crystallographic orientation as the deposit progressed. This phenomenon is correlated with the microstructure of the material as well as such mechanical properties as hardness and fracture toughness.