Scanning Force Microscopy Studies of Implanted Silicon Crystals

Scanning force microscope has been applied to investigate wear tracks produced during friction coefficient measurements of hard steel ball against ⟨111⟩ silicon crystals implanted with Ar ions. Such treatment causes the stable and significant decrease in friction, despite the total removal of implanted species from the wear track during friction. Scanning force microscope measurements of wear tracks topography supported the former hypothesis assuming the formation of post-implantation dense microcracks structure and subsequent propagation of this structure into the bulk. Such process assures small size of wear particles and a low friction coefficient value. Additionally the microfriction force measurement method was applied to determine the friction coefficient of Si$\text{}_{3}$N$\text{}_{4}$ cantilever and a wear track in Si crystal.