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Fracture size effect in ultrananocrystalline diamond: Applicability of Weibull theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

B. Peng ,
C. Li ,
N. Moldovan ,
H.D. Espinosa ,
X. Xiao ,
O. Auciello  and
J.A. Carlisle
B. Peng
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3111
C. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3111
N. Moldovan
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3111
H.D. Espinosa*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3111
X. Xiao
Affiliation:
Materials Science Divisions, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
O. Auciello*
Affiliation:
Materials Science Divisions, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
J.A. Carlisle
Affiliation:
Materials Science Divisions, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: espinosa@northwestern.edu
b) This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of articles authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/jmr_policy.
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Abstract

An analysis of size effects and doping on the strength of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) thin films is presented. The doping was achieved by the addition of nitrogen gas to the Ar/CH4 microwave plasma. The strength data, obtained by means of the membrane deflection experiment (MDE) were interpreted using Weibull statistics. The validity and predictive capability of the theory were examined in conjunction with detailed fractographic and transmission electron microscopy microstructural analysis. The Weibull parameters were estimated nonlinear regression based on 480 tests when the specimen volume varied from 500 to 16,000 μm3. Both undoped and doped UNCD films exhibited a decrease in strength with an increase in specimen size. A significant drop in strength was measured when the films were doped with nitrogen. Such a drop was almost independent of the percentage of doping. The results also showed that one can predict the fracture strength of a component possessing any arbitrary volume to within ±3%. Moreover, the failure mode of UNCD was found to be volume controlled. We also report changes in Young’s modulus as a function of doping for n-doped UNCD thin films.

Keywords

DiamondFractureNanostructure
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 4 , April 2007 , pp. 913 - 925
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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References

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