Mechanism of friction-induced chemical reaction high-efficient polishing single crystal 4H-SiC wafer using pure iron

This paper proposes a novel method for friction-induced chemical reaction machining of single-crystal 4H-SiC wafers using pure iron. Material Removal Rate (MRR) and surface quality of single-crystal 4H-SiC were studied, and the results demonstrate that both high surface quality and high MRR (Ra: 2.2 nm, MRR: 375 nm/min) were obtained. The mechanism of material removal during friction was investigated by examining the critical roles of friction speed. Solid-state chemical reactions between metal and SiC surfaces can be induced by friction, and the subsequent removal of reactants, resulting in a near-damage-free machined surface. A removal mechanism model of friction was established, which reveals that both the rates of solid-state reaction and reactant removal significantly impact the final removal rate of friction.