Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Metal mediated crystallization of an amorphous phase has been found in many systems, in which eutectic phase diagrams are formed. It is interesting to know if an amorphous phase containing two elements, which can form compound, can react and form a crystalline compound at a low temperature in contact with metals. In this paper we studied the Ag/Sil−xCx system by transmission electron microscopy(TEM). It was foundthat amorphous silicon carbide was crystallized into cubic SiC at about 800°C in areas containing Ag. The silver diffused and segregated into the a-SiC phase upon annealing. The silver grains in the original deposited layer as well as those segregated act as nucleation sites for the crystallization of β-SiC. A nucleation temperature as low as 800°C was observed.