Microscale Fracture Behavior of Single Crystal Silicon Beams at Elevated Temperatures.
The micromechanical fracture behavior of Si [100] was investigated as a function of temperature in the scanning electron microscope with a nanoindenter. A gradual increase in KCwas observed with temperature, in contrast to sharp transitions reported earlier for macro-Si. A transition in cracking mechanism via crack branching occurs at ∼300 °C accompanied by multiple load drops. This reveals that onset of small-scale plasticity plays an important role in the brittle-to-ductile transition of miniaturized Si.
Structure and Nano-/Micromechanics of Materials, Max Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH , Max Planck Strasse-1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Balila Nagamani
BN
Jaya
Laboratory for Nanometallurgy, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
Jeffrey M
JM
Wheeler
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, CH-3602 Thun, Switzerland.
Juri
J
Wehrs
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, CH-3602 Thun, Switzerland.
James P
JP
Best
Structure and Nano-/Micromechanics of Materials, Max Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH , Max Planck Strasse-1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Rafael
R
Soler
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, CH-3602 Thun, Switzerland.
Johann
J
Michler
Structure and Nano-/Micromechanics of Materials, Max Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH , Max Planck Strasse-1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.|Department of Material Physics, University of Leoben , 8700 Leoben, Austria.
Christoph
C
Kirchlechner
Structure and Nano-/Micromechanics of Materials, Max Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH , Max Planck Strasse-1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Gerhard
G
Dehm
Microscale fracture; brittle-to-ductile transition; fracture toughness; single crystal silicon