Nanoindentation of Nano-SiC/Si Hybrid Crystals and AlN, AlGaN, GaN, Ga2O3 Thin Films on Nano-SiC/Si

The review presents systematization and analysis of experimental data on nanoindentation (NI) of a whole class of new materials, namely, wide-gap AlN, GaN, AlGaN, and β-Ga₂O₃ heterostructures formed on a hybrid substrate of a new SiC/Si type, which were synthesized by the method of coordinated atom substitution. The deformational and mechanical properties of the investigated materials are described in detail. The methodology of the NI is described, and both advantages and disadvantages of the NI method are analyzed. The description of the apparatus, with the help of which the experiments on NI were carried out, is given. The basic provisions of a new model for describing the deformation properties of a nanoscale rigid two-layer structure on a porous elastic base are described. An original method of visualization of residual (after mechanical interaction) deformation in transparent and translucent materials is described. Experimentally determined values of elastic moduli and hardness of SiC nanoscale layers on Si formed by the method of coordinated substitution on three main crystal planes of Si, namely, (100), (110), and (111), and elastic moduli and characteristics (elastic modulus, hardness, strength) of surface layers of semiconductor heterostructures AlN/SiC/Si, AlGaN/SiC/Si, AlGaN/AlN/SiC/Si, GaN/SiC/Si, and GaN/AlN/SiC/Si grown on SiC/Si hybrid substrates are given. The unique mechanical properties of a new material β-Ga₂O₃ formed on SiC layers grown on Si surfaces of orientations (100), (110) and (111) are described.