Nanoscale etching and indentation of a silicon(001) surface with carbon nanotube tips

Abstract
The possibility of nanoscale etching and indentation of a Si{001}(2 × 1) surface by (8,0) and (10,10) carbon nanotube tips is demonstrated, for the first time, by classical molecular dynamics simulations employing Tersoff's many-body potential for a mixed C/Si/Ge system. In the scenario with the nanotube tip barely touching the surface atomistic etching is observed, whereas in the nanoindentation scenario, the nanotube tip penetrates the surface without much hindrance. The results are explained in terms of the relative strength of the C-C, C-Si, and Si-Si bonds.