Towards a deeper understanding of temperature-dependent material removal of single-crystal AlN: An atomistic study

Temperature-dependent material attrition and subsurface lattice damage of single-crystal AlN at various scratching depths/forces are investigated at atomic level using molecular dynamics simulation. An ultimate removal precision of depth down to monolayer of AlN is achieved based on the present temperature-dependent critical conditions. The number of worn atoms, positively influenced by temperature due to the reduction of hardness, increases exponentially with increasing normal force in the plastic domain. Archard-type wear coefficient K values calculated at different temperatures increase linearly with normal force, and the slope is independent of temperature. Independently of load and temperature, a wear coefficient normalized with the tangential contact area, K/Atang, is developed to interpret the removal efficiency of AlN substrate with diamond abrasive.