The synthesis and ultraviolet photoluminescence of 6H-SiC nanowires by microwave method

In this paper, 6H-SiC nanowires have been largely synthesized by a novel and low-cost microwave method with the presence of nano-Al powders. Structural, morphological and elemental analysis revealed that the products consisted of Al-doped 6H-SiC nanowires with a diameter of 5-200 nm and a length of tens to hundreds of micrometres. Some unique properties are found in the Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the 6H-SiC nanowires, based on which a possible emission mechanism is also discussed. The PL spectrum shows clear evidence of the quantum confinement of 6H-SiC nanowires with the emission above the energy gap.