Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2011
Nanostructured and thick SiC coatings have been successfully deposited on Si and graphite substrates by thermal plasma physical vapor deposition (TPPVD) using ultrafine SiC powder as a starting material. The control of processing parameters such as substrate temperature, composition of plasma gases, permits to the deposition of SiC coatings with a variety of microstructures and with various morphologies from dense to columnar. The maximum deposition rate reached 200 nm/s. Seebeck coefficient up to −480 μV/K was obtained for the non-doped coatings with stoichiometric composition. Nitrogen doping to the coatings made it possible to decrease the electrical resistivity from 10-2∼10-3 to 10-4∼10-5 Ωm and showing the maximum power factor of 1.0×10-3 Wm-1K-2 at 973 K.