Nanoscale etching and indentation of a silicon (001) surface with carbon nanotube tips

摘要

The possibility of nanoscale etching andindentation of a Si(001) (2×1) surface by (8.0) and (10,10)carbon nanotube tips is demonstrated, for the time, by classicalmoleculardynamics simulations employing Tersoff's many-bodypotential for a mixed C/Si/Ge system. In the scenario with thenanotube tip barely touching the surface atomistic etching isobserved, whereas in the nanoindentation scenario, the nanotubetip penetrates the surface without much hindrance. The results areexplained in terms of the relative strength of surface withoutmuch hindrance. The results are explained in terms of the relativestrength of the C-C,C-Si, and Si-Si bonds.