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Strength Measurement in Brittle Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Oscar Borrero-Lopez ,
Mark Hoffman ,
Avi Bendavid  and
Phil J Martin
Oscar Borrero-Lopez
Affiliation:
oscar@unsw.edu.au, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Gate 2, High Street, Kensington NSW 2052 Australia, Sydney, N/A, Australia
Mark Hoffman
Affiliation:
mark.hoffman@unsw.edu.au, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2025, Australia
Avi Bendavid
Affiliation:
Avi.Bendavid@csiro.au, CSIRO, Materials Science and Engineering, Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia
Phil J Martin
Affiliation:
Phil.Martin@csiro.au, CSIRO, Materials Science and Engineering, Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia
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Abstract

In this work we have investigated the strength variability of brittle thin films (thickness ≤ 1 μm) utilising a simple test methodology. Nanoindentation of as-deposited tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) and Ti-Si-N nanocomposite films on silicon substrates followed by cross-sectional examination of the damage with a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Miller allows the occurrence of cracking to be assessed in comparison with discontinuities (pop-ins) in the load-displacement curves. Strength is determined from the critical loads at which cracking occurs using the theory of plates on a soft foundation. This is of great relevance, since the fracture strength of thin films ultimately controls their reliable use in a broad range of functional applications.

Keywords

thin filmnanoscalestrength
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1049: Symposium AA – Fundamentals of Nanoindentation and Nanotribology IV , 2007 , 1049-AA03-07
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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