A simple, direct synthesis method was used to grow carbon-coated SiC nanowires by heating the NiO catalyzed silicon substrate. The carbothermal reduction of WO3 by C provided reductive environment to synthesize crystalline SiC nanowires coated with carbon sheath in the growth temperature of 1000-1100degreesC. The cubic beta-SiC nanowires were 20-50 nm in diameter and the thickness of carbon sheath was 2-3 nm.The field emission properties of the synthesized SiC nanowires directly grown from Si substrate were also reported. The turn on field at the emission current density of 10 muA/cm(2) was about 4.2 V/mum and it showed uniform emission image. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.