Two-dimensional structure evolution and formation of silicon carbides and diamonds in a nano-abrasion process

Structural phase transition is often expected when crystalline substrates with high mechanical strength are processed by diamond abrasion at nanoscale. The structural evolution and formation of 3 C-SiC substrates abraded by diamond were explored using molecular dynamics simulation. The evoluted structures were derived by analyzing bond length, bond angle and coordination changes of SiC and diamond abrasives before and after nano-abrasion. Our simulation results explicitly elucidate the stable, graphene-like two-dimensional (2D) structural evolution and formation from SiC and diamond crystalline. This generolized finding of 2D structural formation from three-dimensional (3D) materials in nano-abrasion may shed light on developing new preparation options to make graphene-like 2D-SiC, which is predicted to be a chemically and mechanically stable semicondcuting material with oustanding opto-electro properties.

Automated summary

This study uses molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the structural evolution and formation of 3C-SiC substrates abraded by diamond at the nanoscale. The results reveal the stable formation of graphene-like 2D structures from SiC and diamond crystalline. This finding has important implications for developing new options in the preparation of graphene-like 2D-SiC.