Sains Malaysiana 49(12)(2020): 3081-3087

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4912-20

Mechanical Strength Enhancement of Porous Nanocrystalline-Silicon (pnc-Si) Membrane via Titanium-oxide (Ti-O) Coating

(Peningkatan Kekuatan Mekanikal Membran Silikon Nano-kristal Poros (pnc-Si) dengan Penglitup Titanium-oksida (Ti-O))

RHONIRA LATIF*, MUHAMMAD FAHMI JAAFAR, MOHD FAIZAL AZIZ & BURHANUDDIN YEOP MAJLIS

Institut Kejuruteraan Mikro dan Nanoelektronik, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Bangi, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 19 Ogos 2020/Diterima: 27 Ogos 2020

ABSTRACT

Porous nanocrystalline silicon (pnc-Si) membrane is mainly studied as a blood filtration membrane, mimicking the glomerulus filtration membrane of a human kidney. However, the pnc-Si material itself is not hemocompatible and enormous membrane area to thickness ratio makes the membrane to be easily fractured. Silicon surface modification via titanium-oxide (Ti-O) thin film layer deposition has been proven to be hemocompatible and the presence of Ti-O layer has been numerically studied to give higher membrane flexural strength. In this work, square pnc-Si membranes of 2 mm × 2 mm × 20 nm size have been fabricated with and without Ti-O layer. Point loading-unloading nanoindentation method has been performed and the membranes’ displacement behaviour subjected to point loads is studied. The pnc-Si membranes with Ti-O layer were found to attain higher fracture strength, membrane bending stiffness and average hardness with the increase of ~20, ~11 and ~24%, respectively, compared to bare pnc-Si membranes. The mechanical strength of a free-standing pnc-Si membrane is improved by depositing a Ti-O thin film layer on the membrane structure.

Keywords: Mechanical strength; nanoindentation; pnc-Si membrane; Ti-O thin film

ABSTRAK

Membran silikon nano-kristal poros (pnc-Si) dikaji sebagai membran penapisan darah, meniru membran penapisan glomerulus buah pinggang manusia. Walau bagaimanapun, bahan pnc-Si itu sendiri tidak hemoserasi dan nisbah keluasan membran kepada ketebalan adalah sangat besar yang menjadikan membran mudah patah. Pengubahsuaian permukaan silikon melalui pemendapan lapisan filem tipis titanium-oksida (Ti-O) telah terbukti hemoserasi dan kehadiran lapisan Ti-O telah dikaji secara analisis berangka bahawa lapisan tambahan ini mampu memberikan kekuatan lenturan membran yang lebih tinggi. Dalam kajian ini, membran pnc-Si yang berbentuk petak dan berukuran 2 mm × 2 mm × 20 nm telah difabrikasi dengan dan tanpa lapisan Ti-O. Kaedah pelekukan nano pemuatan-bongkar titik telah dilakukan dan tingkah laku anjakan membran yang dikenakan daya titik dikaji. Membran pnc-Si dengan lapisan Ti-O didapati mempunyai nilai kekuatan fraktur, kekakuan lenturan membran dan purata kekerasan yang lebih baik dengan peningkatan masing-masing sebanyak ~ 20, ~ 11 dan ~ 24% berbanding dengan membran pnc-Si tanpa salut. Kekuatan mekanikal membran pnc-Si yang berdiri bebas telah ditambah baik dengan meletakkan lapisan filem nipis Ti-O pada struktur membran.

Kata kunci: Filem nipis Ti-O; kekuatan mekanik; membran pnc-Si; pelekukan nano

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*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: rhonira@ukm.edu.my