Temperature-Dependent Friction-Induced Surface Amorphization Mechanism of Crystal Silicon.

Friction-induced surface amorphization of silicon is one of the most important surface wear and damage forms, changing the material properties and harming the reliability of silicon-based devices. However, knowledge regarding the amorphization mechanisms as well as the effects of temperature is still insufficient, because the experimental measurements of the crystal-amorphous interface structures and evolutions are extremely difficult. In this work, we aim to fully reveal the temperature dependence of silicon amorphization behaviors and relevant mechanisms by using reactive molecular dynamics simulations.