A micro-contact and wear model for chemical–mechanical polishing of silicon wafers

A micro-contact and wear model for chemical–mechanical polishing (CMP) of silicon wafers is presented in this paper. The model is developed on the basis of elastic–plastic micro-contact mechanics and abrasive wear theory. The synergetic effects of mechanical and chemical actions are formulated into the model. A close-form equation of material removal rate from the wafer surface is derived relating to the material, geometric, chemical and operating parameters in a CMP process. The model is evaluated by comparing the theoretical removal rates with those experimentally determined. Good agreement is obtained for both chemically active and inactive polishing processes. The model reveals some insights into the micro-contact and wear mechanisms of the CMP process. It suggests that the removal rate is sensitive to the particle concentration in the slurry, more sensitive to the applied load and operating speed and most sensitive to the surface hardness and slurry particle size. The model may be used to study the effects of different materials, geometry, slurry chemistry and operating conditions on CMP processes.     

Examination of the tribolayer formation of a self-lubricant W–S–C sputtered coating

A W–S–C self-lubricating coating was deposited by d.c. magnetron sputtering from carbon and tungsten disulfide targets on steel substrates. The coating showed a carbon content of 42 at% and a S/W ratio of 1.26. The film was characterized (structure, hardness, adhesion) and tribologically tested using a pin-on-disk device. The load and number of cycles were varied and the corresponding wear tracks were thoroughly investigated by several techniques. Moreover, the wear tracks were monitored with Raman spectroscopy including in-situ measurements. The W–S–C coating exhibited friction and wear decreasing with the applied load. It has been demonstrated that the running-in process is related with changes in the Raman spectra on the wear tracks.     

Experimental analysis of coating layer behavior of Al–Si-coated boron steel in a hot bending process for IT applications

The utilization of high-strength steel for automotive structural parts has increased since the oil crisis in the 1970s owing to its high strength and potential for weight reduction. Because of the limited formability of high-strength steels, automotive components are increasingly produced through hot press forming. In some instances, high-strength steel sheets are coated with an Al–Si layer in order to prevent scaling of components during hot press forming, and this can increase their reliability with a view to the dimensional accuracy and stress distribution when they are in service. In this contribution, the coating degradation mechanisms of Al–Si-coated boron steel after the hot bending process are reported. The issues related to coating degradation during hot press forming are critically reviewed at different positions on a part that was subject to hot bending. In addition, the hardness and friction coefficient were tested by a nano-indenter at various positions. The relationship between the experimental parameters and coating layer properties is also reported. It is concluded that the bending deformation affected the coating layer behavior the most.     

Scaling effects between micro- and macro-tribology for a Ti–MoS2 coating

The tribological properties of a Ti–MoS₂ coating (9 at% Ti) were studied at macroscopic length scales with an in situ tribometer and at microscopic length scales with a nanoindentation instrument equipped for microsliding experiments. Measurements were conducted in controlled environments at both low and high humidity (i.e. ～4%RH and ～35%RH). Reciprocating micro- and macro-sliding tests were performed with spherical diamond tip with a 50 μm radius and a sapphire tip with a radius of 3.175 mm, respectively. For both scales, the range of Hertzian contact pressures was between 0.41 GPa and 1.2 GPa. In situ video microscopy observations identified that the dominant velocity accommodation mode at macro-scale was interfacial sliding. However, an additional velocity accommodation mode, transfer film shearing, was also observed with higher humidity. Overall higher friction was observed with microtribology compared to macrotribology. The higher coefficient of friction was attributed to three different stages during the sliding process, which were identified with respect to different contact pressures, contact areas, tip shapes, and environmental conditions. The first two stages exhibited a solid lubrication behavior with some combination of interfacial sliding, transfer film shearing and microplowing. The transfer film thicknesses for these stages, normalized to the initial Hertzian contact radius, fell in a range of 0.001–0.1. For the third stage, the dominant VAM was plowing and the normalized transfer film thickness fell below this range. Comparisons between the two scales demonstrated that for dry sliding, microscopic contacts on Ti–MoS₂ deviate slightly from macroscopic behavior, showing higher limiting friction and microplowing. For humid sliding, microscopic contacts deviate significantly from macroscopic behavior, showing plowing behavior and absence of transfer films.     

Metallurgical and mechanical characteristics of cryogenically treated tungsten carbide (WC–Co)

This paper aims to present the metallurgical and mechanical characterization of cryogenically treated tungsten carbide (WC–Co) in terms of α-, β-, γ-, and η-phase particles and wear behavior, respectively. The specimens of commercially available uncoated WC–Co in the form of round turning inserts were procured and subjected to cryogenic treatment at two levels ?110°C (shallow treatment) and ?196°C (deep treatment) of temperature. The microstructures obtained after cryogenic treatments have been characterized with a prominence to comprehend the influence of cryogenic treatment on the nature, size, and distribution of α-, β-, γ-, and η-phase particles as compared to untreated specimen. The mechanical properties such as hardness and wear rate of the specimens have also been compared by performing Rockwell A hardness test and pin-on-disk wear test, respectively. Microstructures, hardness, wear rate, and analysis of worn surface divulge the underlying metallurgical mechanism responsible in improving mechanical properties of the WC–Co.     

Mechanical and tribological properties of sputtered Mo–Se–C coatings

Transition metal dichalcogenides belong to the more developed class of materials for solid lubrication. However, the main limitation of these materials is the detrimental effect of air humidity causing an increase in the friction. In previous works, molybdenum diselenide has been shown to be a promising coating retaining low friction even in very humid environment. In this study, Mo–Se–C films were deposited by sputtering from a C target with pellets of MoSe₂. Besides the evaluation of the chemical composition, the structure, the morphology, the hardness and the cohesion/adhesion, special attention was paid to the tribological characterization.The C content varied from 29 to 68 at.% which led to a progressive increase of the Se/Mo ratio. As a typical trend, the hardness increases with increasing C content. The coatings were tested at room temperature with different air humidity levels and at temperatures up to 500 °C on a pin-on-disc tribometer. The friction coefficient of Mo–Se–C coatings increased with air humidity from ～0.04 to ～0.12, while it was as low as 0.02 at temperature range 100–250 °C. The coatings were very sensitive to the elevated temperature being worn out at 300 °C due to adhesion problems at coating–titanium interface.     

Ionic liquids as a neat lubricant applied to steel–steel contacts

This paper studies the use of 3 ionic liquids ([(NEMM)MOE][FAP], [BMP][FAP] and [BMP][NTf₂]) as neat lubricant within steel–steel contact conditions. Tribological tests (at 40 and 100 °C) were conducted in a HFRR tribometer and hence a complementary study was developed using a MTM tribometer. The wear surface on the discs was measured after the HFRR tests by confocal microscopy and also analyzed by SEM and XPS. The [BMP][NTf₂] showed the lowest friction coefficient in the MTM and HFRR tests at 40 °C but at 100 °C its tribological behavior worsened due to its lowest viscosity. Similar results were found for wear behavior. Both antifriction and antiwear results were related to the tribofilms formation from the ECR and XPS measurements.     

Precise mechanical polishing of brittle materials with free diamond abrasives dispersed in micro–nano-bubble water

We have studied the effects of using water containing micro–nano-bubbles (MNB water) as the solution in which the diamond abrasives with a mean diameter of 0.5 μm are dispersed for the polishing slurry used in the precise mechanical polishing (PMP) of brittle material of GaN. While the formation of small number of clusters of abrasives was seen in the MNB water, the abrasives were basically well dispersed, which were almost comparable to that in pure water with a dispersion agent such as ethylene glycol. Since flocculation was observed for dispersion in pure-water without the addition of the dispersion agent, it was found that MNBs have dispersion effect for micro-sized abrasive particles. Regarding the polishing properties of GaN substrate with the MNB water based polishing slurry, we observed a remarkable increase in the removal rate with no additional surface or subsurface degradation. Additionally, we observed a significantly reduced subsurface damage (SSD) for chemically weak N-face of GaN substrate. It was suggested that these observed effects were most probably a result of the cluster formation in the MNB water and the chemical effect in relation to high energy generation through bubble collapse, respectively.     

Comparative assessment of the mechanical and electromagnetic surfaces of explosively clad Ti–steel plates after drilling process

The present work pertains to the analysis of surface topography of explosively clad material such as titanium plated steel in drilling process. The study was conducted for different types of indexable insert drills with different configuration of the tool coatings and for WC-Co drill tool. In this context, surface topography of the drilled holes especially in the region of contact area was analyzed. Metrological analysis was performed using stylus-based and optical profilometry. In this paper the differences between mechanically and electromagnetically measured surfaces are highlighted. It has been observed that the parameters of the surface topography are dependent upon the type of layers of the clad and the type of drill.     

Experimental investigation and optimization of EDM process parameters for machining of aluminum boron carbide (Al–B4C) composite

This study investigates the effect of electric discharge machining (EDM) process parameters [current, pulse-on time (T_on), pulse-off time (T_off) and electrode material] on material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR) and surface roughness (SR) during machining of aluminum boron carbide (Al–B₄C) composite. This article also summarizes a brief literature review related to aluminum metal matrix composites (Al-MMCs) based on different process and response parameters, work and tool material along with their sizes, dielectric fluid and different optimization techniques used. The MMC used in the present work is stir casted using 5% (wt) B₄C particles of 50 micron size in Al 6061 metal matrix. Taguchi technique is used for the design of experiments (L₉-orthogonal array), while the experimental results are analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Response table for average value of MRR, EWR and SR shows that current is the most significant factor for MRR and SR, while electrode material is most important for EWR. ANOVA also confirms similar results. It is also observed that the optimum level of process parameters for maximum MRR is A₃B₁C₃D₃, for minimum EWR is A₁B₂C₃D₁, and for SR is A₁B₃C₃D₃.     

Microstructure and properties of Fe–Al intermetallic coatings on the low carbon steel synthesized by mechanical alloying

Fe–Al coating was obtained on low carbon steel substrates using mechanical alloying and subsequent heat treatment. Light optical microscopy and a scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to conduct the microstructure characterization. Mechanical properties of the coatings were evaluated by microhardness measurements and wear tests. The corrosion behavior was determined by potentiodynamic polarization measurements in 3.5 % NaCl solution. The results of the mechanical and corrosion tests showed that the hardness and wear resistance of the coatings decreased with increasing the milling time, while increase in the milling time resulted in a significant increase in the thickness, porosity level, and corrosion resistance.     

Discrete acoustic emission waves during stick–slip friction between steel samples

The onset of frictional slip has always been somewhat difficult to study due to the fact that access to the contact area is almost impossible and in most cases only indirect measurements can be carried out. In this report the acoustic emission (AE) technique was used to record and study the elastic waves that appear during the transition from static to kinetic friction in a stick–slip experiment carried out using a sheet of soft steel and a clamp of quenched steel. From the results it has been observed that the onset of the slip event is accompanied by an increase in the continuous AE activity and, immediately afterwards, a long train of AE waves. The main characteristic of these trains are the presence of a first wave with a relatively low amplitude and the very high amplitude of the three or four next ones. After these, the train of waves acquires a decaying-amplitude behaviour. This paper describes the AE activity associated with a slip event and discusses how the aforementioned AE waves could be related with the tribological behaviour of the frictional pair during the slip event.     

Duplex SiCN/DLC coating as a solution to improve fretting—Corrosion resistance of steel

Fretting corrosion damages are commonly observed when two metallic bodies, which are in contact with each other, are subjected to oscillatory motions of low amplitude. Such kind of degradation mode is often responsible for limited durability of aeronautical joints. In the present paper, a multifunctional duplex coating based on Si–C–N and diamond-like carbon (DLC) materials, combining corrosion resistance and good tribological properties is described. Amorphous hydrogenated SiC, SiCN, SiC/DLC and SiCN/DLC were deposited on steel substrates by a plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) technique, using tetramethylsilane (TMS), ammonia (NH₃) or acetylene (C₂H₂) as gas precursors. Nitrogen incorporation has shown to improve the corrosion protection ability of SiC coatings. The corrosion behaviour and the tribological performance in aqueous media of SiCN/DLC coating have therefore been investigated. A test rig has been designed to validate the fretting resistance of this duplex coating for aeronautic applications. It was found that the combination of a SiCN-based PACVD sublayer with a DLC topcoat could provide an enhanced solution to withstand both fretting and corrosion.     

Running-in of metal–polymer frictional systems with a composite coating

A universal criterion is proposed to determine when the nonsteady running-in of a frictional pair has ended. An algorithm is developed for identification and statistical evaluation of the running-in parameters in the case of a metal–polymer frictional system.     

Deformation and strength properties of a carbon–carbide composite with 2D reinforcement under plane stress state

Data of an experimental–theoretical investigation of the deformation and strength characteristics of a carbon–carbide composite with a 2D reinforcement scheme are given. The nonlinear deformation of the material is described using the relationships of nonlinear elasticity of an orthotropic solid. The strength characteristics are calculated by the maximum stress criterion. Calculated deformation diagrams and ultimate strengths are compared with the experimental data of the authors.     

Development and postoperation state of Ni–Co–Cr–Al–Y plasma heat-resistant coating

The paper presents the results of studying the structure and physical and mechanical properties of a Ni–Co–Cr–Al–Y heat-resistant intermetallic compound coating, formed by the method of the high-energy plasma powder spraying on the working surfaces of turbine blades of a gas turbine engine in the initial state and after completing the designed resource (within ~28000 h), as part of a GTE-45-3 power unit of a thermal power plant (ОАО Yakutenergo).     

Effects of Chromium Addition on Microstructure and Abrasion Resistance of Fe–B Cast Alloy

This research work studies the effects of chromium on microstructure and abrasion resistance of Fe–B cast alloy. The results show that eutectic boride changes from continuous network to less continuous and matrix changes from pearlite to martensite with the increase in chromium content in the alloy. Meanwhile, an increase in chromium addition in the alloy leads to an increase in the chromium content in M₂B-type boride because chromium can enter boride by substituting for iron in Fe₂B. Under two-body wear, Fe–B cast alloy exhibits excellent wear resistance. When alloys are tested against soft abrasive, chromium can markedly improve the wear resistance of Fe–B cast alloy, whereas excessive chromium can reduce the wear resistance. The wear resistance of Fe–B cast alloy increases first and then decreases with the increase in chromium. But when tested against hard abrasive, since the hardness of SiC is much higher than that of M₂B boride, an increase in chromium content marginally increases the wear resistance. Weight losses of Fe–B cast alloy increase with the increase in the load and exhibit the linear relationship.     

Transfer films in a PTFE–steel pair at different temperatures

The wear of the polytetrafluoroethylene–steel frictional pair is investigated. The dependence of the frictional coefficient and the wear on the contact temperature is determined. The temperature range of adhesive wear is established for polytetrafluoroethylene.