Abstract
The thermally driven reaction of carbon nanotubes with a silicon substrate is studied by photoemission spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Carbon nanotubes with a relatively high defect density are observed to decompose under reaction with silicon to form silicon carbide at temperatures (650±10 °C) substantially lower than the analogous reaction for adsorbed C60. The morphology of the resultant silicon carbide islands appears to reflect the morphology of the original nanotubes, suggesting a means by which SiC nanostrutures may be produced.