Fabricating nano ribbons and nano fibers of semiconductor materials by diamond turning

Diamond turning tests have been made on single crystalline silicon wafers. It was found that chips removed from the material surface during machining consist of nano needles, nano ribbons and nano fibers, the shape and size of which depend on the undeformed chip thickness and the cutting edge geometry. Electron diffraction studies showed that the needle-type chips are micro-crystalline with slight amorphization; while the nano ribbons and nano fibers have been mostly transformed into the amorphous phase. This work preliminary demonstrated the feasibility of an efficient and inexpensive production method for mechanically flexible nano ribbons and nano fibers for micronano mechanical and electronic applications.