The effect of focused ion beam machining on residual stress and crack morphologies in alumina

Focused ion beams (FIB) are widely used to locally sputter away material from surfaces at the nanoscale, but the effect of localised geometry changes and surface damage generated by FIB processing on material stress states are poorly understood. Evolution of stress states has been investigated in alumina samples with high local residual stress concentrations around nanoindents and scratches. Crack morphologies under the nanoindents and scratches have been investigated with respect to the location and geometry of the 'cross-sectional' surface trenches machined by FIB. It is found that the density of cracks observed around the nanoindentation sites depends on the location and milling sequence of the cross-sectional FIB trenches which alter local stress states. Cr 3+ fluorescence spectroscopy has additionally been used to map stresses around alumina scratch and FIB-machined surface trenches. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.