Telephone cord buckles—A relation between wavelength and adhesion

Thin films with low adhesion and large residual stresses may buckle. The resulting morphologies are varied, but one of the most commonly observed is an intriguing oscillating pattern – the so-called “telephone cord” – which has been extensively investigated in the recent years. We have studied the kinematics of formation of telephone cords using a geometrically non-linear plate model and mode dependent interfacial toughness, captured via a cohesive zone. Through extensive Finite Element Simulations, we have demonstrated a simple, non-trivial relation between telephone cord wavelength and interfacial toughness. To validate this prediction, highly stressed Mo thin films were deposited on Si wafers, with a well defined interface and very reproducible adhesion. Studying the morphology of the resulting buckles for different film thicknesses and stresses, we observed a trend which was fully consistent with our simulation results. From the data fit, an adhesion energy of 0.58±0.04 J m⁻² for the SiO₂/Ag interface was inferred, which compares well with literature estimates.     

圆形脱层的轴对称屈曲及扩展分析

利用高阶摄动结合打靶法，分析了固支圆板在均匀径向力作用下的轴对称屈曲和过屈曲，所得结果与文（６）的ＦＥＭ结构吻合得很好，应用于薄膜－基底结构，研究了受压薄膜脱层的屈曲、扩展问题，得到了在一定的残余压应力作用下，脱层屈曲的临界尺寸Ｒｃ和扩展尺寸Ｒｇ。     

An analysis of axisymmetric buckling and growth of circular-shaped delamination

The buckling and post-buckling of clamped circular plate subjected to distributed radial compressed load is presented by using the high-order perturbation analysis and shooting method. The sixth-order solution shows good agreement with the FEM results in [11]. The results in this paper are applied to investigate the buckling and growth of pressed thin film delamination in the film/substrate system. Under a certain residual pressure in the thin film, two characteristic blister radiiR _c andR _g, the critical radius and growing radius respectively, are obtained. The numerical result shows that the growth criterion of delamination in [9,10] is not perfect. In variant residual stress or interface toughness, the conditions of no growth, stable growth and unstable growth of the delamination are obtained by comparing the driving force at the interface crack tip with the interface toughness.This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Nonlinear analysis of compressed elastic thin films on elastic substrates: From wrinkling to buckle-delamination

Nonlinear buckling of elastic thin films on compliant substrates is studied by modeling and simulations to reveal the roles of pre-strain, elastic modulus ratio, and interfacial properties in morphological transition from wrinkles to buckle-delamination blisters. The model integrates an interfacial cohesive zone model with the Föppl–von Kármán plate theory and Green function method within the general framework of energy minimization. A kinetics approach is developed for numerical simulations. Subject to a uniaxial pre-strain, the numerical simulations confirm the analytically predicted critical conditions for onset of wrinkling and wrinkle-induced delamination, with which a phase diagram is constructed. It is found that, with increasing pre-strain, the equilibrium configuration evolves from flat to wrinkles, to concomitant wrinkles and buckle-delamination, and to an array of parallel straight blisters. The height and width of the buckle-delamination blisters can be approximately described by a set of scaling laws with respect to the pre-strain and interfacial toughness. Subject to an equi-biaxial pre-strain, the critical conditions are determined numerically to construct a similar phase diagram for the buckling modes. Moreover, by varying the pre-strain, modulus ratio, and interfacial toughness, a rich variety of equilibrium configurations are simulated, including straight blisters, and network blisters with or without wrinkles. These results provide considerable insight into diverse surface patterns in layered material systems as a result of the mechanical interactions between the film and the substrate through their interface, which suggests potential control parameters for designing specific surface patterns.     

Quantitative characterization of the interfacial adhesion of Ni thin film on steel substrate: A compression-induced buckling delamination test

A compression-induced buckling delamination test is employed to quantitatively characterize the interfacial adhesion of Ni thin film on steel substrate. It is shown that buckles initiate from edge flaws and surface morphologies exhibit symmetric, half-penny shapes. Taking the elastoplasticity of film and substrate into account, a three-dimensional finite element model for an edge flaw with the finite size is established to simulate the evolution of energy release rates and phase angles in the process of interfacial buckling-driven delamination. The results show that delamination propagates along both the straight side and curved front. The mode II delamination plays a dominant role in the process with a straight side whilst the curved front experiences almost the pure mode I. Based on the results of finite element analysis, a numerical model is developed to evaluate the interfacial energy release rate, which is in the range of 250–315 J/m² with the corresponding phase angle from −41° to −66°. These results are in agreement with the available values determined by other testing methods, which confirms the effectiveness of the numerical model.     

A theoretical and numerical study of thin film delamination using the pull-off test

An accurate closed-form analytical solution for the strain energy release rate for a thin rectangular film loaded by a central line force using the pull-off test is derived in the presence of a tensile residual stress. The theoretical constitutive relation and the strain energy release rate agree very well with two-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis for the entire deformation regime ranging from bending plate to stretching membrane. Fracture modes for this pull-off test are also investigated based upon the finite element analysis, offering additional insights to the interfacial delamination.     

薄膜非线性撕裂三种弯曲模型的解答及讨论

针对薄膜非线性撕裂的弯曲模型,引入了3种表征薄膜撕裂过程的双参数准则.这3种表征分别为:(1)界面断裂韧度和分离应力; (2)界面断裂韧度和薄膜的裂尖转角; (3)界面断裂韧度和薄膜在裂尖的临界Mises等效应变.从3种双参数准则入手,分析并给出了针对上述各准则的薄膜非线性撕裂问题的解答.通过分析和比较,建立弯曲模型解答与严格平面应变弹塑性分析解答之间的关联.     

Residual stresses in thin film systems: Effects of lattice mismatch,thermal mismatch and interface dislocations

This paper explores the mechanisms of the residual stress generation in thin film systems with large lattice mismatch strain, aiming to underpin the key mechanism for the observed variation of residual stress with the film thickness. Thermal mismatch, lattice mismatch and interface misfit dislocations caused by the disparity of the material layers were investigated in detail. The study revealed that the thickness-dependence of the residual stresses found in experiments cannot be elucidated by thermal mismatch, lattice mismatch, or their coupled effect. Instead, the interface misfit dislocations play the key role, leading to the variation of residual stresses in the films of thickness ranging from 100 nm to 500 nm. The agreement between the theoretical analysis and experimental results indicates that the effect of misfit dislocation is far-reaching and that the elastic analysis of dislocation, resolved by the finite element method, is sensible in predicting the residual stress distribution. It was quantitatively confirmed that dislocation density has a significant effect on the overall film stresses, but dislocation distribution has a negligible influence. Since the lattice mismatch strain varies with temperature, it was finally confirmed that the critical dislocation density that leads to the measured residual stress variation with film thickness should be determined from the lattice mismatch strain at the deposition temperature.     

Cohesive zone modeling of interfacial delamination in PZT thin films

Previous experimental investigations [Shang, F., Kitamura, T., Hirakata, H., Kanno, I., Kotera, H., Terada, K., 2005. Experimental and theoretical investigations of delamination at free edge of interface between piezoelectric thin films on a substrate. International Journal of Solids and Structures 42 (5–6) 1729–1741] have demonstrated that multilayered Cr/PZT/PLT/Pt/Ti thin films deposited on single-crystal silicon substrates are delaminated along the interface between Cr and PZT layers in a brittle manner. This study starts with a model based on the cohesive zone concept and carries out numerical simulations to check the fracture behavior of this interfacial delamination. Three types of cohesive zone models (CZMs) are adopted, including the exponential, bilinear, and trapezoidal models. Characteristic CZM parameters are extracted through comparisons with experimental results. The simulation results show that (i) cohesive strength and work of separation are the dominating parameters in the CZMs; (ii) the bilinear CZM more suitably describes this brittle interfacial delamination; and (iii) in comparison with typical several mm-thick film/coating materials, the fracture energy of this weak Cr/PZT interface is quite low. Our study demonstrates the applicability of CZM in characterizing the interface fracture behavior of film materials with micrometer thicknesses.     

磁场力及膜曲率对磁敏感薄膜-基底界面 黏附性能的影响与调控

界面黏附和脱黏的可调控在攀爬装置、黏附开关、机械抓手等方面具有重要的应用需求. 针对磁敏感薄膜-基底界面, 开展了薄膜初始曲率及外加磁场对界面黏附性能影响机制的研究. 首先实验制备了具有初始曲率的磁敏感薄膜, 分别开展了具有初始曲率的磁敏感薄膜-基底界面撕脱实验及理论研究, 研究了薄膜初始曲率、弯曲刚度和外加磁场强度对界面黏附性能的影响规律. 实验和理论结果一致表明: 具有初始曲率的磁敏感薄膜-基底界面黏附力随薄膜初始曲率的增大而减小, 而外加磁场能够有效提高界面黏附力;相比于初始零曲率薄膜-基底界面稳态撕脱力与薄膜弯曲刚度无关, 薄膜弯曲刚度减弱了具有初始曲率薄膜-基底界面的稳态撕脱力. 进一步从能量角度分析了界面等效黏附性能, 揭示了薄膜弯曲能、磁场势能、界面黏附能的相互竞争机制. 最后, 基于本文的实验及理论结果, 提出了一种磁场和薄膜初始曲率协同调控的简易机械抓手, 可连续实现物体的拾取、搬运和释放功能. 本文结果不仅有助于理解多场调控的界面可逆黏附机制, 对界面黏附可控的功能器件设计亦提供了一种新方法.      

Measurements of Deflection and Residual Stress in Thin Films Utilizing Coherent Light Reflection/Projection Moiré Interferometry

Thin film technology is an area of great importance in current applications of opto-electronics, electronics, MEMS and computer technology. A critical issue in thin film technology is residual stresses that arise when the coating is deposited onto a substrate. Residual stresses can be very large in magnitude and have detrimental effects on the role that the thin film must play. To save development time on coating deposition processes it is important to perform accurate residual stresses measurements in situ in real time where the deposition is made. A novel optical set up is developed in this study to measure deflections and residual stresses generated in coated specimens that can be applied directly in the reactor utilized in the deposition process. Experimental results are in good agreement with other measurements carried out independently and other data reported in literature for thin films like those tested in the experiments.     

激光诱导应力波测量薄膜界面强度研究进展

薄膜界面强度是影响多层薄膜装置性能的重要参数。激光诱导应力波技术是在可控制和非接触条件下定量测量薄膜界面强度最有效的技术之一。在采用高强度应力波短脉冲加载实现界面层裂的同时，通过光学测量薄膜自由面瞬态位移，并利用应力波理论计算得到临界界面强度。通过精确控制试样几何形状及尺寸，包括拉伸、剪切和复合型在内的各种界面加载模式都可以实现。本文对激光诱导应力波测量薄膜界面强度研究进展进行了综述，并特别强调了不同加载模式的实现方法，高强度超薄薄膜的界面测量技术，以及如何通过辨别薄膜自由面瞬态位移光学干涉信号中的某些特殊性征来实时判断和测量界面的层裂。     

BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF STRETCHABLE FERROELECTRIC THIN FILM ON ELASTOMERIC SUBSTRATES

The thin stiff films on pre-stretched compliant substrates can form wrinkles, which can be controlled in micro and nanoscale systems to generate smart structures. Recently, buck- led piezoelectric/ferroelectrie nanoribbons have been reported to show an enhancement in the piezoelectric effect and stretchability, which can be applied in energy harvesting devices, sensors and memory devices instead of polymeric polyvinylidine fluoride （PVDF）. This paper studies the buckling and post-buckling process of ferroelectric thin films bonded to the pre-stretched soft layer, which in turn lies on a rigid support. Nonlinear electromechanical equations for the buckling of thin piezoelectric plates are deduced and employed to model the ferroelectric film poled in the thickness direction. Two buckling modes are analyzed and discussed： partially de-adhered buck- ling and fully adhered buckling. Transition from one buckling mode to the other is predicted and the effect of piezoelectricity on the critical buckling condition of piezoelectric film is examined.     

Residual stresses in evaporated AI-Si films

Residual stresses in vacuum evaporated thin Al-Si films were evaluated by measuring the deflection of a thin cantilevered substrate during removal of the film. Post-thermal treatment and thermal cyclings at temperatures between ?269° C and 560° C were also introduced to determine their effects on the residual stresses of the films.     

Fiber Bragg Grating Based Stress Measurement for Films Deposited onto Cylindrical Surfaces

Shape of a substrate directly influences the residual stress in thin film coatings. In this study, a method involving Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) was used to measure residual stress in a film deposited on a cylindrical surface. An FBG has a cylindrical surface and its Bragg wavelength shifts continuously when a film is being deposited on the sensor’s surface. Herein, we calculated the residual strain in the film from the wavelength shift of the Bragg grating by studying the transfer of the residual strain of the cylindrical film to the core of the optical fiber substrate during deposition. By employing the energy method, we derived expressions that related the strain in the core of fiber to the residual strain in single layer films, bilayer films, and multilayer cylindrical films. As an example, we demonstrated a detailed process for testing the stress and the strain distribution across a nickel (Ni) film electrodeposited on the surface of a nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) alloy-coated optical fiber. The results indicated that the measured strain repeatability was less than 500 μ? and the strain sensitivity was more than ?2 × 10^?3 pm/μ?, when the thickness of the film was less than 5 μm. The negative sign on the strain sensitivity indicated that the tensile strain in the film produced compressive strain in the core of the optical fiber. The FBG sensor system has high test speed, and integrates measurement and signal transmission. This method provides an effective and convenient approach to measure stress in a film deposited on a cylindrical surface.     

Multi-layer thin films/substrate system subjected to non-uniform misfit strains

Current methodologies used for the inference of thin film stress through curvature measurement are strictly restricted to stress and curvature states that are assumed to remain uniform over the entire film/substrate system. These methodologies have recently been extended to a single layer of thin film deposited on a substrate subjected to the non-uniform misfit strain in the thin film. Such methodologies are further extended to multi-layer thin films deposited on a substrate in the present study. Each thin film may have its own non-uniform misfit strain. We derive relations between the stresses in each thin film and the change of system curvatures due to the deposition of each thin film. The interface shear stresses between the adjacent films and between the thin film and the substrate are also obtained from the system curvatures. This provides the basis for the experimental determination of thin film stresses in multi-layer thin films on a substrate.     

The growth simulation of circular buckling-driven delamination

Some closed-form equations for the coupling problem of buckling and growth of circular delamination are derived by recourse to the moving boundary variational principle. The axisymmetric buckling of a circular delamination subjected to an equal bi-axial compression is analysed by using high-order perturbation expansion. The axisymmetric buckled delamination has the following properties : under a certain residual pressure, there exist two characteristic radii, namely the critical radius R_c and growing radius R_g; for a certain interface toughness, the blister has three configuration of stationary, stable growth and unstable growth with increasing the loads. Under a higher edge thrust, the nonaxisymmetric secondary buckling will occur on the base of axisymmetric buckling and then the toughness and the driving force of the interface crack will be different along the delamination front. So the growth of circular delamination will not be self-similar. Without any assumption regarding the delamination front, the configurations of the blister with several nonaxisymmetric buckling modes n = 2, 3, 6, 8 are simulated. The nonaxisymmetric growth process for the nonaxisymmetric buckling mode n = 2 is simulated also under a sequence of loads.     

纳米薄膜屈曲模式的实验研究

薄膜/基底系统在信息科学以及微电子机械系统中有着十分重要的地位.薄膜中常会有压或拉的残余应力,因此薄膜/基底结构通常是工作在残余应力以及外加应力的联合作用下.根据结构的功用不同,其载荷方式也有不同,从而也导致了不同的破坏模式.压缩载荷下的脱粘屈曲是薄膜基底结构主要的破坏形式之一.本文使用磁控溅射镀膜技术,制作了压缩薄膜...     

Micromechanics of substrate-supported thin films

The mechanical properties of metallic thin films deposited on a substrate play a crucial role in the performance of micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and flexible electronics. This article reviews ongoing study on the mechanics of substrate-supported thin films, with emphasis on the experimental characterization techniques, such as the rule of mixture and X-ray tensile testing. In particular, the determination of interfacial adhesion energy, film deformation, elastic properties and Bauschinger effect are discussed.     

Behaviour of thick composite tubes considering of delamination

The present paper deals with plane finite element analysis of thick composite tubes. Thick composite tubes are commonly used in marine industry and in deep-water offshore applications. Two kinds of interlaminar delamination type defect in a thick walled cylinder subjected to external pressure were confronted; an annular or ring like delamination and a strip delamination. Two finite element models were developed to predict the strain energy release rate at the delamination fronts. In these models the effects of the processing history of the composite material in the form of a uniform thermal load were also included to simulate the state of the residual stress in the composite. The considered defects are studied by means of the effect of buckling, investigating the annular and the strip delamination buckling, and the subsequent loss of load carrying capacity of the delaminated region.