Variation of surface morphology of material uplift near flash-healed Vickers indents under direct-current electric field in cubic zirconia single crystals

Abstract

Flash events can cause rapid mass diffusion through instantaneous power spikes that occur in electric fields and at temperatures above certain thresholds. Recent research suggests that such mass diffusion caused by the flash event may include athermal effects in addition to Joule heating due to the power spikes. However, this perspective has not been applied to surface diffusion, one of the mass diffusion pathways. This study examines the athermal effect on surface diffusion during the flash event by analyzing the surface morphology variation of material uplift formed after the flash-/thermal-healing of Vickers-indentation-induced microcracks. The results show that the formation of surface facet structures, one of the material uplift surface morphologies, varies depending on the direction of the direct current (DC) electric field. The direction dependence of the facet structure formed on the material up-lifted surface due to the DC electric field is a result of the electric field drift effect. The athermal effects associated with flash events can be considered to exist also in mass diffusion involving surface diffusion.