title: A novel approach of high speed scratching on silicon wafers at nanoscale depths of cut.
abstract: In this study, a novel approach of high speed scratching is carried out on silicon (Si) wafers at nanoscale depths of cut to investigate the fundamental mechanisms in wafering of solar cells. The scratching is conducted on a Si wafer of 150 mm diameter with an ultraprecision grinder at a speed of 8.4 to 15 m/s. Single-point diamonds of a tip radius of 174, 324, and 786 nm, respectively, are used in the study. The study finds that at the onset of chip formation, an amorphous layer is formed at the topmost of the residual scratch, followed by the pristine crystalline lattice beneath. This is different from the previous findings in low speed scratching and high speed grinding, in which there is an amorphous layer at the top and a damaged layer underneath. The final width and depth of the residual scratch at the onset of chip formation measured vary from 288 to 316 nm, and from 49 to 62 nm, respectively. High pressure phases are absent from the scratch at the onset of either chip or crack formation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-Traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.|Changzhou Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Changzhou 213164, China.|State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-Traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Dongming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-Traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-Traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
authors.forename: Renke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-Traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Bi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang