Rate Effects on the Material and Interfacial Failure of Thin Films From Static to Dynamic Loading

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract for CMS-0555787 The recent widespread deployment of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) has allowed for sufficient progress in studies focusing on the static and low/high cycle fatigue failure of rate insensitive materials such as polysilicon. However, far less is known about the response of polysilicon to impact loading. Furthermore, although metallic MEMS devices have become important in various critical applications, their significant strain rate sensitivity has not been explored, leading to a lack of understanding of the fundamental mechanical behavior required to develop reliable devices. This project will pursue an in depth investigation of the failure of polysilicon thin films over the entire spectrum loading rates from quasistatic to dynamic. Furthermore, experimentation on thin film metallic materials for MEMS will also be conducted to unravel the physical mechanisms of deformation and failure occurring at each time scale.