Thermal changes in unstable stacking faults in ultra-fine high-purity β-phase powder, synthesized by using the plasma chemical vapor deposition method, were studied by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The number of unstable stacking faults, which were frequently observed in as-synthesized powder, decreased at high temperatures in an Ar atmosphere. On the other hand, the numbers of general stacking faults increased with decreasing numbers of unstable stacking faults. A type of stacking fault that was geometrically more unstable than the unstable stacking faults was observed in specimens after heat treatment.

Thermal Change of Unstable Stacking Faults in β-SiC. N.Shirahata, K.Kijima, X.Ma, Y.Ikuhara: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics - 1, 2001, 40[6A], 3969-74