Fabrication and Physical Properties of SiC-GaAs Nano-Composites

Nano-composites consisting of a primary matrix phase of hard nanocrystalline SiC and a secondary nanocrystalline GaAs semiconductor phase were obtained by high-pressure zone infiltration. The synthesis occurs in three stages: (i) at room- temperature the SiC nanopowder is compacted under high pressure to 8 GPa, (ii) the temperature is increased to 1240ºC, above the melting point of GaAs, and the pores were filled with liquid, (iii) on cooling GaAs nanocrystallites grow in the pores. The synthesis was performed using a toroid-type high-pressure apparatus (IHPP PAS, Warsaw) and a six anvil cubic press (MAX80 at HASYLAB, Hamburg). X-ray diffraction studies were performed with a laboratory D5000 Siemens diffractometer. The phase compositionn, grain size and macrostrains in the synthesized materials were examined. The microstructure of the composites was characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Far-infrared reflectivity and Raman spectroscopy measurements were used to trace built-in strains.