Abstract
The surface planarity and asperity removal behavior on atomic scale in an ultrathin water environment were studied for a nanoscale process by molecular dynamics simulation. Monolayer atomic removal is achieved under both noncontact and monoatomic layer contact conditions with different water film thicknesses. The newly formed surface is relatively smooth without deformed layers, and no plastic defects are present in the subsurface. The nanoscale processing is governed by the interatomic adhering action during which the water film transmits the loading forces to the Cu surface and thereby results in the migration and removal of the surface atoms. When the scratching depth ≥ 0.5 nm, the abrasive particle squeezes out the water film from the scratching region and scratches the Cu surface directly. This leads to the formation of trenches and ridges, accumulation of chips ahead of the particles, and generation of dislocations within the Cu substrate. This process is mainly governed by the plowing action, leading to the deterioration of the surface quality. This study makes the ”0 nm planarity, 0 residual defects, and 0 polishing pressure” in a nanoscale process more achievable and is helpful in understanding the nanoscale removal of materials for developing an ultra-precision manufacture technology.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant numbers 51375364 and 51475359] and Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China [2014JM6219].
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Junqin SHI. He received his MS degree in physics in 2015 from China University of Petroleum (East China), China. After then, he was a PhD student in the State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. He has recently obtained his PhD degree in materials science and engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University. His research interests include plastic deformation, friction and wear behavior of crystal materials, and the computational materials science.
Liang FANG. He received his MS and PhD degrees in materials science and engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University and Harbin Institute of Technology, China, in 1984 and 1991, respectively. His current position is a professor in the State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials at Xi’an Jiaotong University and the dean of School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in Xiamen University Tan KahKee College. His research areas cover the tribology and processing of metallic materials.
Kun SUN. He received his MS and PhD degrees in engineering mechanics and mechanical engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, in 1997 and 2001 respectively. He joined the State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials at Xi’an Jiaotong University from 2003. His research areas cover the engineering mechanics and tribology of metallic materials, and the materials genome.
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Shi, J., Fang, L., Sun, K. et al. Surface removal of a copper thin film in an ultrathin water environment by a molecular dynamics study. Friction 8, 323–334 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-019-0258-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-019-0258-6