Non-Contact Experimental Technique to Characterize Interfacial Crack Propagation in Nano-Scale and Micro-Scale Thin Films

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

Thin film interfacial delamination is an important reliability concern in a wide range of applications. Although a significant amount of interfacial delamination is caused by fatigue loading, existing literature has not adequately addressed this topic, especially for nano-scale thin films. This proposal aims to develop an innovative fatigue delamination test that can be used to monitor and characterize interfacial delamination propagation for nano-scale as well as micro-scale thin films. The proposed test has several intellectual aspects: it uses nano-scale metal traces to monitor the delamination propagation; it uses electromagnetic actuation to provide the driving force needed for delamination propagation, and thus the test method does not require any fixtures to apply loads; using an array of cantilevers placed in an external magnetic field and with in-situ crack propagation capabilities, the proposed test technique will be a significant advancement in interfacial fatigue crack testing. Nano-scale thin films are being increasingly used in a wide range of applications such as solid-state devices, integrated electronic components, sensors, MEMS/NEMS, antireflective optical films for better light transmission, conductive films in display technologies, thin-film coating in solar cells, magnetic coatings for media storage, and flexible and bendable lenses for space exploration. The proposed research will have a strong impact on their reliability. The research approach and the findings will be integrated in graduate and undergraduate education. Also, students will get exposure to nano-scale thin film fabrication and testing. The research methodology and results will be published in technical journals and presented in conferences to reach a wide-ranging audience.