Effects of cracking on the deformation anisotropy of GaAs with different crystal orientations during scratching using molecular dynamics simulations

As previous studies have neglected the effect of cracking on the deformation of hard and brittle materials during processing, our interest lies in assessing how cracking affects the deformation of GaAs with varied crystal orientations. This paper offers molecular dynamics simulations of a diamond indenter scratching on GaAs with a single asperity in several crystal orientations. This work gives direct evidence that cracking alters the deformation behavior of distinct crystal orientations at the atomic level. The results demonstrate that such discrepancies are caused by the distribution of tensile stresses and the fracture surface. This work offers new insights into understanding the deformation mechanism anisotropy of an asperity GaAs in various crystal orientations.