# Molecular Dynamics Study on the Effect of Surface Films on the Nanometric Grinding Mechanism of Single-Crystal Silicon

## TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to explore how surface films affect the nanogrinding of single-crystal silicon, showing that BN and graphene improve surface quality but increase subsurface damage.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel MD-based analysis of BN and graphene films' effects on nanogrinding mechanisms of single-crystal silicon.

## Key findings

- BN and graphene films suppress chip formation and improve surface quality, with graphene being more effective.
- Both films reduce tangential forces and grinding force fluctuations but increase normal forces.
- Graphene reduces surface and subsurface temperatures more effectively than BN.

## Abstract

To investigate the influence of surface films on the material removal mechanism of single-crystal silicon during nanogrinding, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed under different surface-film conditions. The simulations examined atomic displacements, grinding forces, radial distribution functions (RDF), phase transformations, temperature distributions, and residual stress distributions to elucidate the damage mechanisms at the surface and subsurface on the nanoscale. In this study, boron nitride (BN) and graphene films were applied to the surface of single-crystal silicon workpieces for nanogrinding simulations. The results reveal that both BN and graphene films effectively suppress chip formation, thereby improving the surface quality of the workpiece, with graphene showing a stronger inhibitory effect on atomic displacements. Both films reduce tangential forces and mitigate grinding force fluctuations, while increasing normal forces; the increase in normal force is smaller with BN. Although both films enlarge the subsurface damage layer (SDL) thickness and exhibit limited suppression of crystalline phase transformations, they help to alleviate surface stress release. In addition, the films reduce the surface and subsurface temperatures, with graphene yielding a lower temperature. Residual stresses beneath the abrasive grain are also reduced when either film is applied. Overall, BN and graphene films can enhance the machined surface quality, but further optimization is required to minimize subsurface damage (SSD), providing useful insights for the optimization of single-crystal silicon nanogrinding processes.