Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Nanoscale Abrasive Wear of Polycrystalline Silicon

Abstract

In this work, molecular dynamics simulations of the nanoscratching of polycrystalline and singlecrystalline silicon substrates using a single-crystal diamond tool are conducted to investigate the grain size effect on the nanoscale wear process of polycrystalline silicon. We find that for a constant indentation depth, both the average normal force and friction force are much larger for single-crystalline silicon compared to polycrystalline silicon. It is also found that, for the polycrystalline substrates, both the average normal force and friction force increase with increasing grain size. However, the friction coefficient decreases with increasing grain size, and is the smallest for single-crystalline silicon. We also find that the quantity of wear atoms increases nonlinearly with the average normal load, inconsistent with Archard’s law. The quantity of wear atoms is smaller for polycrystalline substrates with a larger average grain size. The grain size effect in the nanoscale wear can be attributed to the fact that grain boundaries contribute to the plastic deformation of polycrystalline silicon.

Dynamics of Neutral and Charged Nanodiamonds in Aqueous Media Confined between Gold Surfaces under Normal and Shear Loading

“…Fluctuations in the friction force and sliding speed similar to that observed here have also been reported in studies of dry friction. ,,− The same studies also show similar trends and magnitudes in friction values. Previous studies , of dry contacts also identified surface deformation caused by carbon-based nanoparticles confined between sliding surfaces.…”

“…Although there are many MD simulations in the literature that have reported on the impacts of nanoparticles on surface friction, − ,,− the majority of them consider dry sliding conditions while ignoring the potential influence of electrostatics of nanoparticles near the sliding surfaces. References and − , for example, reported MD simulations of dry friction levels for ND tips sliding on iron-, , silicon-, and carbon-based , surfaces. References and explored dry friction of carbon-based nanoparticles confined in sliders.…”

Friction and Wear in Nanoscratching of Single Crystals: Effect of Adhesion and Plasticity

“…For nanoscratching on an atomistic flat surface, worn atoms can be evaluated as the atoms located above the original substrate surface [ 37 ]. Herein, we adopted a threshold height [ 38 ] to determine the worn atoms.…”

Comparative Analysis of Bubbles Behavior in Different Liquids by Laser-Induced Plasma Micromachining Single-Crystal Silicon

“…Single-crystal silicon is the key essential material of semiconductors with outstanding electrical properties and photovoltaic characteristics and has been widely used in the fields of optoelectronics and microelectronic devices [1]. However, it is difficult to fabricate highprecision microstructures of silicon wafer due to its high degree of hardness (12)(13)(14) and low level of fracture toughness (~1 MPa•m (1/2) ), which leads to significant restriction in the applications of conventional mechanical machining technologies like turning, milling, or grinding [2]. Ehmann et al [3] proposed a novel type of underwater micromachining process, laser-induced plasma micromachining (LIPMM), to fabricate microchannels on the silicon surface through high-temperature spot plasma in the liquid.…”