Mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms of surface-modified 6H-silicon carbide

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2021.02.028

Abstract

Abstract:

The effect of amorphous film on the deformation mechanism and mechanical properties of 6H-SiC were systematically explored by a combination of both experiments and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations in nanoindentation. The experimental results showed that the plastic deformation of surface-modified 6H-SiC is mainly accommodated by dislocation activities in the subsurface and an amorphous layer with uniform thickness. The MD results indicated that the amorphous layer on the surface of the residual indentation mark consists of both amorphous SiO₂ and SiC due to direct amorphization. In addition, the amorphous SiO₂ film undergoes densification and then ruptures with the indentation depth increases. The modulus and hardness increase with increasing the indentation depth at the initial stage but will reach their stable values equivalent to monocrystalline 6H-SiC.

Key words: Nanoindentation, Surface-modified 6H-SiC, Amorphous SiO₂ film, Amorphization, Dislocation evolution, MD simulation

Zhonghuai Wu, Liangchi Zhang. Mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms of surface-modified 6H-silicon carbide[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 90: 58-65.

Figures/Tables 11

Fig. 1. Molecular dynamics simulation model.

Fig. 2. The microstructure below the indentation mark of the 6H-SiC coated with an amorphous film. (a) A bright-field and (b) a dark-field low-magnification STEM images. A high-magnification STEM image taken from (c) yellow border region and (d) red border region of (a). The reduced fast Fourier transformation (FFT) was conducted in the two selected regions of (c) marked by red and yellow dash line frames, as shown in the inserts.

Fig. 3. Indentation load-depth curve for the monocrystalline 6H-SiC and the surface-modified 6H-SiC workpiece with a maximum indentation depth of 5.4 nm.

Fig. 4. Young's modulus and hardness of the 6H-SiC workpiece as a function of indentation depth.

Fig. 5. Deformation evolution of amorphous SiO2 film.

Fig. 6. RDF evolution of (a) O-O, (b) Si-O and (c) Si-Si and (d) ADF evolution of O-Si-O.

Fig. 7. Flattening of the SiO4 tetrahedron during the densification process.

Fig. 8. The subsurface deformation evolution of the 6H-SiC substrate in the composite.

Fig. 9. Deformation morphology of (a) monocrystalline 6H-SiC and (b) the surface-modified 6H-SiC substrate.

Fig. 10. Overall deformation morphologies of (a) monocrystalline 6H-SiC and (b) the 6H-SiC substrate; cross-section deformation morphologies of (c) monocrystalline 6H-SiC and (d) the 6H-SiC substrate.

Fig. 11. Cross-sections of the surface-modified 6H-SiC workpiece after unloading: (a) atomic distribution and (b) the corresponding IDS distribution.

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