World-first electronic imaging of subcritical slip growth in single crystal silicon under fatigue loading

Silicon slips under repeated loading, which quite likely causes fatigue failure after a certain number of cycles to accumulate subcritical damages. By fabricating p-n junctions over stress concentration areas, traces of slip deformation in single crystal silicon subjected to cyclic compression stress was successfully captured in electron beam induced current (EBIC) images obtained with a field emission scanning electron microscope. These images would blow away the mirage of long-believed surface oxidation originated fatigue fracture.