Synthesis and photoluminescence of belt-shaped Si3N4 whiskers

Belt-shaped Si3N4 whiskers have been synthesized by a carbothermal reduction and nitridation method. The whiskers had an average width of 800 nm, width-to-thickness ratios of 4–6, and a length in the range of several tens of microns to hundreds of microns. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the whiskers showed a strong blue emission peak at 410 nm, and PL lifetime measurement exhibited a rapid decay within a few nanoseconds. The growth of the whiskers was supposed to be dominated by a vapor–solid (VS) mechanism.