The chip generation and removal mechanisms of thermal-assisted polishing monocrystalline 4 H-SiC

Abstract

The chip generation and removal characteristic of SiC in thermal-assisted nano-abrasion are investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. Varieties of minimum uncut chip thickness (MUCT) with different thermal-assisted conditions are inferred. Thermal-assisted extreme manufacturing is additional considered. The simulation results reveal that the atomic removal of 4 H-SiC substrates is easier with the thermal-mechanical coupling effect in nano-abrasion, however, not change significantly in compound thermal-assisted nano-abrasion. The removal efficiency witnesses a rise as the thickness of thermal affected region increases, while tends to be stable at a higher thickness. MUCT decreases with increasing the external temperature in coupling thermal-assisted processing, while keep stable in compound thermal-assisted processing. Chip generation and damage-free features of 4 H-SiC are observed in coupling thermal-assisted extreme manufacturing.