Energy variation of micro-cracking on Single Crystal Silicon

摘要

The results from nano indentation is employed to study the mechanical behaviour of materials at nanometric scale. Based on the extensive experiments using nano indentation, a new phenomenon is discovered in understanding micro cracking on single crystal silicon. Thus, a new method is proposed in evaluating the micro cracks occurring, i.e., an increasing rate of absorbed energy, which is significant in examining the brittle-to-ductile transition of single crystal silicon. This method provides a simple approach in understanding the micro cracks, while it is very tedious in conventional method. Experimental studies reveal that the increasing rale of absorbed energy in nano indentation presents an identical correlation to the surface cracks on single crystal silicon surfaces.