Nanocantilevers made of bent silicon carbide nanowire-in-silicon oxide nanocones

We report the plasma-assisted synthesis of nanocones on a nickel-coated silicon substrate using tetramethyl silane as the gas precursor. These nanocones consist of coaxially aligned, crystalline β-SiC nanowires surrounded by conical-shaped, amorphous silicon oxide precipitates. The propensity of the SiC wire to undergo changes in the growth axis directs the bending of the nanocones, giving rise to structures resembling nanocantilevers. The growth mechanism that controls the nanostructure formation is discussed.