Evolution of the symmetry of intermediate phases and their phonon spectra during the topochemical conversion of silicon into silicon carbide

A symmetry analysis of the crystal structure and the phonon spectrum during continuous topochemical conversion of silicon into silicon carbide has been carried out. The transformation of the symmetry of phonons at high-symmetry points of the Brillouin zone upon the transition from the initial cubic structure of silicon (diamond) through an intermediate cubic structure of silicon carbide to the trigonal structure of SiC has been determined. The selection rules for the infrared and Raman spectra of all the three phases under investigation have been established.