Some features of surface formation during brittle failure of covalent crystals with diamond-type lattice according to EPR data

The dependence was found of the intensity of “mechanical paramagnetic centres” EPR signals on the temperature of grinding of diamond, silicon carbide, silicon and germanium crystals. Signals intensity increase with grinding temperature lowering (up to 77 K) is related with formation of the materials' amorphous phase during their brittle failure as well as with specific features of the microcracks structure development.