Microscopic mechanism for mechanical polishing of diamond (110) surfaces

TL;DR

This paper investigates the atomistic mechanisms behind diamond (110) surface polishing, explaining directional asymmetry and predicting surface morphology consistent with experimental observations.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed atomistic model for the nano-groove formation during diamond polishing, explaining asymmetry and surface features.

Findings

Asymmetry in polishing rates explained by atomistic mechanisms

Predicted surface morphology matches experimental evidence

Mechanism accounts for polishing residue characteristics

Abstract

Mechanically induced degradation of diamond, as occurs during polishing, is studied using total--energy pseudopotential calculations. The strong asymmetry in the rate of polishing between different directions on the diamond (110) surface is explained in terms of an atomistic mechanism for nano--groove formation. The post--polishing surface morphology and the nature of the polishing residue predicted by this mechanism are consistent with experimental evidence.