Molecular dynamics simulation of SiC oxide layer mechanical polishing

SiC single crystal is a typical difficult-to-process material with high brittleness and high hardness, SiO₂ oxide layer with lower hardness is formed on SiC surface by plasma electrochemical reaction, and then it is mechanically removed by abrasive with lower hardness to obtain lower surface roughness. Through the molecular dynamics simulation of mechanochemical action and microscopic removal of SiC oxide layer by mechanical polishing, the microscopic processes such as contact deformation, atomic scraping, friction change and temperature change between a single CeO₂ abrasive particle and SiO₂ oxide layer are studied. The indentation and scratching effects of abrasive particles on the oxide layer at different times are revealed from the atomic scale, and the microscopic removal mechanism of SiC oxide layer during mechanical polishing is explained. The research results enhance the understanding of microscopic removal of the SiO₂ oxide layer by CeO₂ abrasive particles, which provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of processing parameters for SiC oxide layer removal.