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Chinese Journal of Materials Research  2025, Vol. 39 Issue (9): 701-711    DOI: 10.11901/1005.3093.2025.166
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Nanoscale Analysis of Material Removal Behavior of β-SiC Semiconductor Devices during Sliding Wear
SHI Yuanji1(), CHENG Cheng2, ZHANG Haitao1, HU Daochun1, CHEN Jingjing3(), LI Junwan4
1.Industrial Perception and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Engineering Research Center of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing University of Industry Technology, Nanjing 210023, China
2.College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
3.Mechanical Friction Wear and Protective Lubrication Research Center on Surface/Interface, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang 330044, China
4.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Cite this article: 

SHI Yuanji, CHENG Cheng, ZHANG Haitao, HU Daochun, CHEN Jingjing, LI Junwan. Nanoscale Analysis of Material Removal Behavior of β-SiC Semiconductor Devices during Sliding Wear. Chinese Journal of Materials Research, 2025, 39(9): 701-711.

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Abstract  

Understanding the material removal mechanism during the sliding wear process of β-SiC materials from an atomic scale perspective will helpful reduce the occurrence of adhesive contact failure and wear in micro-electromechanical system devices. Therefore, the influence of abrasive radius, depth of pressing, sliding speed, service temperature and substrate crystal plane etc. on the SiC microstructure evolution and material removal behavior during the sliding wear of β-SiC materials was studied by means of molecular dynamics method. Results show that the atomic-scale removal mechanism of β-SiC materials in sliding wear lies in the fact that the abrasive grains and the extrusion zone are affected by the dual coupling of high stress and high temperature. It is very easy for the material to be continuously removed from the surface under the induction of horizontal friction force, resulting in the accumulation of grinding debris in front of the abrasive grains and on both sides of the edge of the close contact zone. As the service temperature and pressure depth increase, the number of wear chip atoms produced by wear also increases. However, as the sliding speed increases, the accumulation of wear atoms in front of the abrasive grains and on both sides of the contact edge indeed decreases. Furthermore, the plastic deformation in sliding wear of β-SiC is mainly dominated by the nucleation, growth, proliferation and sliding of dislocations from the cubic crystal structure to the sphalerite crystal structure and within the substrate. Moreover, the concentration degree of Von Mises stress distribution in the β-SiC substrate is positively correlated with the regions where dislocation defects occur within the substrate. The results show that in sliding wear, with the increase of abrasive radius, depth of pressing and sliding speed, the larger the peak value of the radial distribution function, the more amorphous atoms will be produced by β-SiC. However, as the service temperature rises, the number of amorphous atoms produced by β-SiC indeed decreases. In addition, the crystal plane selectivity of the β-SiC substrate has significant anisotropic characteristics for the horizontal friction force, microstructure evolution, wear chip number, atomic vector displacement, temperature field and stress field distribution in sliding wear.

Key words:  inorganic non-metallic materials      plastic remove      nanofriction      β-SiC      atomic scale     
Received:  09 May 2025     
ZTFLH:  TH114.1  
Fund: Open Foundation of Industrial Perception and Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment Engineering Research Center(ZK220504);Science and Technology Research Project of Education Department of Jiangxi Province(GJJ2402622)
Corresponding Authors:  SHI Yuanji, Tel: (025)85864039, E-mail: 2018100937@niit.edu.cn;
CHEN Jingjing, Tel: (0794)8242215, E-mail: chenjingjingfzu@126.com

URL: 

https://www.cjmr.org/EN/10.11901/1005.3093.2025.166     OR     https://www.cjmr.org/EN/Y2025/V39/I9/701

Fig.1  Three dimensional model of β-SiC constructed by molecular dynamics method (a) β-SiC atomic model, (b) schematic diagram of sliding friction
Simulation conditionParameters setting
Model dimension (L)Lx (28.3 nm) × Ly (46.8 nm) ×Lz (26.3 nm)
Cutting speed (V)100 m/s, 200 m/s, 300 m/s
Cutting depth (d)3 nm, 5 nm, 7 nm
Abrasive particle radius (R)5 nm, 7 nm, 9 nm
Newton layer (T)1 K, 300 K, 800 K
Crystal plane(001), (110), (111)
Time step1 fs
Table 1  Simulation parameter setting of SiC material on nanofriction process
Fig.2  Influence of sliding friction parameters on friction force (a-d) and average friction force (e-h) for β-SiC material (a, e) effect of abrasive particle radius on friction force, (b, f) effect of indentation depth on friction force, (c, g) effect of temperature on friction force, (d, h) effect of crystal plane on friction force
Fig.3  Influence of temperature on atomic displacement amplitude and shear deformation of β-SiC under nano-sliding wear (a) effect of temperature on atomic displacement amplitude from top view, (b) effect of temperature on atomic displacement amplitude from back view, (c) effect of temperature on shear strain from back view
Fig.4  Influence of sliding velocity on atomic displacement amplitude and shear deformation of β-SiC under nano-wear stage (a) effect of sliding speed on atomic displacement amplitude from top view, (b) effect of sliding speed on atomic displacement amplitude from back view, (c) effect of sliding speed on shear strain from back view
Fig.5  Influence of crystal plane selectivity and indentation depth on atomic displacement amplitude of β-SiC under nanosliding wear (a-e) effect of crystal plane and indentation depth on atomic displacement amplitude from top view, (a1-e1) effect of crystal plane and indentation depth on atomic displacement amplitude from back view
Fig.6  Influence of sliding friction parameters on the microstructure evolution of β-SiC (a) effect of temperature on microstructure evolution, (b) effect of sliding speed on microstructure evolution, (c) effect of indentation depth on microstructure evolution, (d) effect of crystal plane on microstructure evolution
Fig.7  Influence of sliding friction parameters on the vector displacement of β-SiC atoms (a-c) the influence of sliding speed and abrasive radius on the vector displacement of β-SiC, (d-f) the influence of temperature on the vector displacement of β-SiC, (g, h) the influence of sliding speed and indentation depth on the vector displacement of β-SiC
Fig.8  Influence of sliding friction parameters on the atomic number of β-SiC with grinding chips (a) the influence of indentation depth on abrasive atoms, (b) the influence of temperature on abrasive atoms, (c) the influence of sliding speed on abrasive atoms, (d) the influence of crystal plane on abrasive atoms, (e) influence of sliding friction parameters on abrasive atoms
Fig.9  Influence of sliding friction parameters on the radial distribution function of β-SiC (a) indentation depth effect, (b) particle radius effect, (c) sliding speed effect, (d) temperature effect
Fig.10  Influence of sliding friction parameters for temperature, velocity, indentation depth and crystal plane on the stress field distribution of β-SiC
Fig.11  Influence of sliding friction parameters for temperature, speed, indentation depth and crystal plane on the temperature field distribution of β-SiC
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