Effect of thermal oxidation on indentation and scratching of single-crystal silicon carbide on microscale

Indentation and scratching experiments were conducted on single-crystal SiC ceramic with and without thermal oxidation treatment, single-crystal Si and amorphous SiO2 using a modified atomic force/friction force microscope with a sharp diamond tip. Auger analysis was used to identify various compound layers present on the untreated and oxidized samples. It was found that nanoindentation hardness and scratch resistance were affected by thermal oxidation and decreased with increasing oxide layer thickness. The surface properties of SiC samples oxidized at 1050°C for 10 h were similar to those of bulk silica.