Continuous silicon carbide (SIC) fiber with a diameter of about 100 gm was fabricated by two-stage chemical vapor deposition on tungsten filament Microstructure of the fiber was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy X-ray diffraction transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectrometry The results showed that the fiber consists of tungsten core a W/SiC interfacial reaction zone with the reaction products of W5Si3 and WC and a predominant beta-SiC layer The W/SiC interface can be described as W/W5Si3/WC/SiC The SIC originates at the surface of the WC with a buffer layer in which beta-SiC crystallites nucleate and grow with their preferred (1 1 1) orientation exhibiting strong <1 1 1> fiber texture Raman spectra revealed that the SIC in the fiber is stoichiometric which is composed of beta-SiC and amorphous SIC Furthermore the formation mechanism of W/SiC interfacial reaction zone and structural evolution of SIC are discussed (C) 2010 Elsevier BV All rights reserved