Investigation of failure modes and material structural responses of nanographite coatings on single-crystal silicon by nanoscratching

The failure modes of a nanographite-on-silicon system and the effects of the coating on the load-induced phase transformation of the silicon substrate were investigated using a series of nanoscratching tests with a spherical diamond indenter. The critical normal load for the failure of the nanographite coating was determined based on the thickness of the coating. When the load increased beyond the critical point, cracks, press spallation, and lift spallation were observed, and the silicon substrate underwent a phase transformation from the original crystalline phase to a mixture of amorphous, Si-III and Si-XII phases. For a thin coating, the silicon substrate was free of phase transformation owing to the coating protection. These findings provide guidance for glass molding and other applications.