Erosion mechanisms of monocrystalline silicon under a microparticle laden air jet

Abstract

Microabrasive air-jet machining is considered as a promising precision processing technology for silicon substrates. In this paper, the impressions produced on a monocrystalline silicon by the impacts of microsolid particles entrained by an air jet and the associated microscopic erosion mechanisms are presented and discussed. It is shown that the impressions can be classified into three categories, namely, craters, scratches, and microdents, of which two types of craters and two types of scratches can lead to large-scale fractures. Craters with cleavage fracture surfaces have been found to play an important role in the material removal process. In addition, it is shown that most particles bounced away from the target surface without sliding or rolling during an impact so that most impressions formed are crater-type erosions.

Analysis and modelling of particle velocities in micro-abrasive air jet

“…Nevertheless, ductile-mode erosion where the material is eroded by the cutting and ploughing actions of the particles often exits for brittle materials [2]. From the reported investigations in the literature [2,3,[5][6][7][8], it is believed that the component of the impact energy that is normal to work surface is responsible for material removal in the brittle nature [2], while the component parallel to the work surface contributes to the cutting and ploughing actions. The erosion for ductile materials under high-speed particle impacts is dominated by plastic deformation [9,10].…”

“…For hard and brittle materials, the impact force of an abrasive particle can cause localised cracks at the work surface. The target material is therefore removed mainly by the formation and propagation of cracks with the subsequent impact events [2][3][4]. Nevertheless, ductile-mode erosion where the material is eroded by the cutting and ploughing actions of the particles often exits for brittle materials [2].…”

“…The target material is therefore removed mainly by the formation and propagation of cracks with the subsequent impact events [2][3][4]. Nevertheless, ductile-mode erosion where the material is eroded by the cutting and ploughing actions of the particles often exits for brittle materials [2]. From the reported investigations in the literature [2,3,[5][6][7][8], it is believed that the component of the impact energy that is normal to work surface is responsible for material removal in the brittle nature [2], while the component parallel to the work surface contributes to the cutting and ploughing actions.…”

A study of the flow characteristics in micro-abrasive jets

“…The target material is removed by the formation and propagation of cracks with the subsequent impact events. However, ductile-mode erosion often exits for brittle materials where the material is eroded by the cutting and ploughing actions of the particles [4]. The component of the impact energy that is normal to work surface is responsible for material removal in the brittle nature, while the component parallel to the work surface contributes to the cutting and ploughing actions.…”

“…as a function of process and material variables [3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. For hard and brittle materials, the impact force of the abrasive particle causes localized cracks at the work surface.…”