Abstract
The fracture of many materials causes electronic excitation near fracture surfaces. This electronic excitation was reported to be observed as the electron emission from fractured metal surfaces and as the increase in electrical conduction in fractured semiconductors. However, the mechanism of electronic excitation near fracture surfaces has been hardly studied to date. In the present paper, we give theoretical consideration to fracture-induced electronic excitation in metals and semiconductors in terms of thermal excitation near fracture surfaces. It is shown that the reported electron emission from fractured metal surfaces corresponds to thermoelectronic emission at about 1000K. It is estimated that the reported increase in electrical conduction in fractured semiconductors also corresponds to thermal excitation of carriers at about 1000K. Excited states near fracture surfaces are discussed on the basis of the present estimations.
