Microscratch Test for Ultra-Thin Films

1990 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. W. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Acoustic Emission ◽  
Critical Load ◽  
Normal Load ◽  
Tangential Load ◽  
Scratch Hardness ◽  
Deposited Films ◽  
Microscratch Test

ABSTRACTIn a microscratch test performed by using an upgraded microindenter, the normal load, tangential load, scratch length and acoustic emission, are monitored simultaneously during an entire scratch process for the purposes of measuring the critical load and studying the ffilure mechanisms of the deposited films. The adhesion strength, scratch hardness, fracture toughness and friction are the mechanical properties which are possible to obtain by using this technique. Results from aluminum, carbon and zirconia coatings will be discussed.

Microscratch and load relaxation tests for ultra-thin films

1991 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.W. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Normal Load ◽  
Fatigue Tests ◽  
Plastic Strain Rate ◽  
Relaxation Techniques ◽  
Load Relaxation ◽  
Tangential Load ◽  
Creep Properties ◽  
Load Relaxation Test

The microindenter has proven to be a powerful device in the characterization of the mechanical properties of thin films. The machine has both high resolution in the applied load and penetration depth measurements, as well as the versatility to perform different types of testing. The former provides the capability to deal with extremely thin films, while the latter allows for other mechanical properties, in addition to hardness, to be acquired. Four types of tests, namely indentation, scratch, load relaxation, and indentation fatigue tests can currently be conducted using the microindenter via different operating procedures. Only the scratch and load relaxation techniques will be covered in this paper. In a microscratch test, the normal load, tangential load, scratch length, and acoustic emission are monitored simultaneously during an entire scratch process for the purposes of measuring the critical load and studying the failure mechanisms of the deposited films. The adhesion strength, scratch hardness, fracture toughness, and friction are the mechanical properties which are possible to obtain by using this technique. Results from aluminum, carbon, and zirconia coatings will be discussed. The load relaxation test provides information on the creep properties of the films and results in an empirical constitutive relation between the applied stress and plastic strain rate. The creep properties of DC sputtered Al films will be used as an illustration of this.

scholarly journals Electroless Ni-P Coatings: Preparation and Evaluation of Fracture Toughness and Scratch Hardness

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wagner Sade ◽  
Reinaldo Trindade Proença ◽  
Thiago Daniel de Oliveira Moura ◽  
José Roberto Tavares Branco
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Scratch Hardness ◽  
Hard Particles ◽  
Steel Aisi ◽  
Electroless Ni ◽  
Preparation And Evaluation ◽  
Phase Relationships ◽  
Thermally Treated

Ni-P chemical coatings have been used to prevent wear, corrosion and as an alternative for hard chromium, since the latter's deposition processing is very harmful to the human health and the environment. In the present paper, Ni-P coatings with 8 and 10% P were deposited in steel AISI 1020 and thermally treated. Ni-1wt%P coatings with incorporation of hard particles of Al2O3 were also investigated. The microstructure and phase relationships were analyzed and correlated with the fracture toughness and scratch hardness of the coatings.The results show that the fracture toughness of the coating was smaller when thermally treated at 400°C for 1 hour and the scratch hardness reached a peak in this temperature. The relation of chemical composition and microstructure with mechanical properties of Ni-P coatings is presented. The phosphorus contents, the crystallization, and the incorporation of hard particles in the coatings change the values of toughness fracture and scratch hardness.

Measurement of adhesion of thin films

1960 ◽  
Vol 254 (1277) ◽  
pp. 163-176 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Critical Load ◽  
Film Surface ◽  
Metal Films ◽  
Shearing Force ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Smooth Contour ◽  
Tip Radius ◽  
Clear Channel

Methods of measuring adhesion are considered and an analysis is presented of a method which is particularly suitable for thin films. In this method a rounded steel point of smooth contour is drawn across the film surface and the load on the point is gradually increased until the film is removed, leaving a clear channel. It is shown experimentally that the load required depends upon the nature of the interface between film and substrate without being directly dependent upon the mechanical properties of either. The method is analyzed in detail and a suitable mechanism is proposed. This mechanism is examined both theoretically and experimentally and it is shown that an absolute value of the shearing force required to remove a film can be calculated from the critical load required, the tip radius of the point and the identation hardness of the substrate. Applications have been restricted so far to metal films on transparent substrates.

Depth sensing indentation of nanoscale graphene platelets in nanocomposite thin films

2011 ◽  
Vol 1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardavan Zandiatashbar ◽  
Catalin R. Picu ◽  
Nikhil Koratkar
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Characteristic Length ◽  
Matrix Interface ◽  
Depth Sensing ◽  
Epoxy Nanocomposites ◽  
Dramatic Decrease ◽  
Graphene Platelet ◽  
Nanocomposite Thin Films

ABSTRACTSignificant improvement of mechanical properties was observed recently in graphene platelet-epoxy nanocomposites relative to unfilled epoxy, such as an increase of the fracture toughness by 50% and dramatic decrease of fatigue crack growth rate. In this work, thin films of 0.1 wt.% of graphene platelet (GPL) – epoxy nanocomposites were fabricated and the nanoscale mechanical properties of the nanocomposite were investigated by nanoindentation. This provides information about the presence of characteristic length scales induced by the microstructure and the strength of the filler-matrix interface.

scholarly journals Material Structure and Mechanical Properties of Silicon Nitride and Silicon Oxynitride Thin Films Deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Surfaces ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghao Gan ◽  
Changzheng Wang ◽  
Zhong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Silicon Oxynitride ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Silicon Nitride Films

Silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride thin films are widely used in microelectronic fabrication and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Their mechanical properties are important for MEMS structures; however, these properties are rarely reported, particularly the fracture toughness of these films. In this study, silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride thin films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) under different silane flow rates. The silicon nitride films consisted of mixed amorphous and crystalline Si3N4 phases under the range of silane flow rates investigated in the current study, while the crystallinity increased with silane flow rate in the silicon oxynitride films. The Young’s modulus and hardness of silicon nitride films decreased with increasing silane flow rate. However, for silicon oxynitride films, Young’s modulus decreased slightly with increasing silane flow rate, and the hardness increased considerably due to the formation of a crystalline silicon nitride phase at the high flow rate. Overall, the hardness, Young modulus, and fracture toughness of the silicon nitride films were greater than the ones of silicon oxynitride films, and the main reason lies with the phase composition: the SiNx films were composed of a crystalline Si3N4 phase, while the SiOxNy films were dominated by amorphous Si–O phases. Based on the overall mechanical properties, PECVD silicon nitride films are preferred for structural applications in MEMS devices.

scholarly journals Mechanical Properties of 3C-SiC Films for MEMS Applications

2007 ◽  
Vol 1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayadeep Deva Reddy ◽  
Alex A. Volinsky ◽  
Christopher L. Frewin ◽  
Chris Locke ◽  
Stephen E. Saddow
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Silicon Carbide ◽  
Plastic Deformation ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Single Crystal ◽  
Elastic Contact ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Sic Films

AbstractThere is a technological need for hard thin films with high elastic modulus and fracture toughness. Silicon carbide (SiC) fulfills such requirements for a variety of applications at high temperatures and for high-wear MEMS. A detailed study of the mechanical properties of single crystal and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films grown on Si substrates was performed by means of nanoindentation using a Berkovich diamond tip. The thickness of both the single and polycrystalline SiC films was around 1-2 μm. Under indentation loads below 500 μN both films exhibit Hertzian elastic contact without plastic deformation. The polycrystalline SiC films have an elastic modulus of 457 GPa and hardness of 33.5 GPa, while the single crystalline SiC films elastic modulus and hardness were measured to be 433 GPa and 31.2 GPa, respectively. These results indicate that polycrystalline SiC thin films are more attractive for MEMS applications when compared with the single crystal 3C-SiC, which is promising since growing single crystal 3C-SiC films is more challenging.

Micromechanical Testing of Nanostructured NbTiNi Hydrogen Permeation Membranes

2009 ◽  
Vol 1224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Kusuno ◽  
Yusuke Shimada ◽  
Mitsuhiro Matsuda ◽  
Masaaki Otsu ◽  
Kazuki Takashima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Hydrogen Permeation ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Testing Machine ◽  
Transgranular Fracture ◽  
Heat Treated ◽  
Ni Alloy ◽  
Melt Spun

AbstractNb-Ti-Ni alloy is one of the candidates for hydrogen permeation membranes. The hydrogen permeability of a membrane depends on its thickness, and mechanical properties such as the fracture toughness of the membrane are important to ensure reliability and durability. In the present work, micro-mechanical tests have been carried out for melt-spun Nb-Ti-Ni thin films consisting of amorphous and nano-crystalline phases. The relationship between the mechanical properties of the melt-spun films and the microstructural changes occurring in the films due to heat treatment has been also discussed. The Nb-Ti-Ni alloy thin films were prepared by the melt-spun technique and then heat-treated at 873-1173 K. Micro-sized cantilever specimens with dimensions of 10 × 10 × 50 μm3 were prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) machining. Fracture tests were carried out using a mechanical testing machine for the micro-sized specimens; the testing machine was developed by us. In addition, microstructures were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fracture toughness (KQ) value decreased up to 823 K, and it increased above 1173 K. The specimen heat-treated above 1173 K showed ductile fracture. The fracture morphology of the specimen heat-treated up to 1023 K showed grain boundary fracture characteristics, and that of the specimen heat-treated at 1173 K changed to transgranular fracture.

Spatial Variation of Mechanical Properties of ZnO Thin Films RF-Sputtered in Various Gas Environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (03) ◽  
pp. 1650036
Author(s):  
V. Malapati ◽  
R. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Rf Sputtering ◽  
Hexagonal Wurtzite Structure ◽  
Film Deposition ◽  
Zno Thin Films ◽  
Nitrogen Gas ◽  
Gas Environment ◽  
Quartz Substrates ◽  
Deposited Films

ZnO thin films were deposited on quartz substrates by RF sputtering under argon, oxygen and nitrogen gas environment. The as deposited films showed hexagonal wurtzite structure with (002) orientation along c-axis. The mechanical properties of films with thickness ranging from 842[Formula: see text]nm to 1067[Formula: see text]nm and grain size 94–124[Formula: see text]nm were studied using nanoindentation technique. The Young’s modulus and hardness of the films were in the range 76–257[Formula: see text]GPa and 5–18[Formula: see text]GPa, respectively. Both parameters decreased with increase in indentation depth of the films. The spatial distribution of these parameters were strongly dependent on the gas environment used for film deposition.

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