Probing C-84-embedded Si Substrate Using Scanning Probe Microscopy and Molecular Dynamics

MS Ho and CP Huang and JH Tsai and CF Chou and WJ Lee, JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS, e54235 (2016).

DOI: 10.3791/54235

This paper reports an array-designed C-84-embedded Si substrate fabricated using a controlled self-assembly method in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. The characteristics of the C-84-embedded Si surface, such as atomic resolution topography, local electronic density of states, band gap energy, field emission properties, nanomechanical stiffness, and surface magnetism, were examined using a variety of surface analysis techniques under ultra, high vacuum (UHV) conditions as well as in an atmospheric system. Experimental results demonstrate the high uniformity of the C-84-embedded Si surface fabricated using a controlled self-assembly nanotechnology mechanism, represents an important development in the application of field emission display (FED), optoelectronic device fabrication, MEMS cutting tools, and in efforts to find a suitable replacement for carbide semiconductors. Molecular dynamics (MD) method with semi-empirical potential can be used to study the nanoindentation of C-84-embedded Si substrate. A detailed description for performing MD simulation is presented here. Details for a comprehensive study on mechanical analysis of MD simulation such as indentation force, Young's modulus, surface stiffness, atomic stress, and atomic strain are included. The atomic stress and von-Mises strain distributions of the indentation model can be calculated to monitor deformation mechanism with time evaluation in atomistic level.

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