Abstract
The force-displacement records of the indentation of silicon single crystals have been monitored with an ultra-micro indentation system using spherical-tipped diamond indentors. The observations with indentors of different radii varying from nominally 5–20 μm all exhibited similar behaviour. At low loads, the behaviour was entirely elastic and exhibited complete reversibility. At slightly heavier loads the onset of non-linear behaviour occurred, which, in many cases, appeared to be completely reversible. In all the other cases at this and higher load levels, a “pop-out” event occurred during the unloading in what otherwise appeared to be an elastic unloading. The results are interpreted in terms of the indentation pressure-induced phase transformation from silicon-I to silicon-II on loading and to silicon-III upon unloading.
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Weppelmann, E.R., Field, J.S. & Swain, M.V. Influence of spherical indentor radius on the indentation-induced transformation behaviour of silicon. J Mater Sci 30, 2455–2462 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01184600
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01184600