Nanoscratch-induced phase transformation of monocrystalline Si

Deformation behaviors of monocrystalline Si induced by nanoscratching were systematically investigated by use of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The study demonstrated that the lateral load in nanoscratching played a key role in the amorphization of Si, which led to a different phase transformation behavior when compared with the well-documented phase transformation route in nanoindentation.