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Giant pop-ins in nanoindented silicon and germanium caused by lateral cracking

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

D.J. Oliver ,
B.R. Lawn ,
R.F. Cook ,
M.G. Reitsma ,
J.E. Bradby ,
J.S. Williams  and
P. Munroe
D.J. Oliver*
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
B.R. Lawn
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
R.F. Cook
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
M.G. Reitsma
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899
J.E. Bradby
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
J.S. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
P. Munroe
Affiliation:
Electron Microscope Unit, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: djo109@rsphysse.anu.edu.au
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Abstract

Giant “pop-in” displacements are observed in crystalline silicon and germanium during high-load nanoindentation with a spherical diamond tip. These events are consistent with material removal triggered by lateral cracking during loading, which poses a hazard to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) operation. We examine the scaling of the pop-in displacements as a function of peak indentation load and demonstrate a correlation with the depth of the plastic contact zone. We argue that giant pop-ins may occur in a broad range of highly brittle materials.

Keywords

GeSiFracture
Type
Materials Communications
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , February 2008 , pp. 297 - 301
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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References

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