Residence-time dependent kinetics of CVD growth of SiC in the MTS/H2 system

In most chemical vapor deposition (CVD) experiments in flow reactors carried out until now, growth conditions were chosen which yield growth rates independent or linearly dependent on the total gas flow rate, so that the residence time (t) of the gases in the hot zone of the reactor should not play any role in the growth rate. We have performed CVD experiments in the system MTS/H₂, under conditions of low decomposition of MTS. We have found a region, where the growth rate and its derivatives depend strongly on the operating conditions, in particular, where the growth rate of SiC increases strongly with an increase of t. For lower or higher (but yet incomplete) decomposition of MTS, the growth rate becomes again independent of t, and its apparent energy of activation becomes 200 kJ/mol.