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U.S. Department of Energy
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Indentation technique to measure the fraction toughness of thin-film/substrate interfaces

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5948030
An indentation technique employing a conventional microhardness tester is developed and used to study the adherence of the interface of zinc oxide thin films to silicon substrates. Upon unloading of a Vickers diamond indenter, lateral cracks propagate parallel to the film surface, either along the interface or within the film. A fracture mechanics model is proposed which relates the adherence in the presence of interface cracking to the interface crack length, the indentation load, the geometry of the indenter, the material parameters of the film and the residual stress in the film. The model also predicts the spalling behavior of the film as a function of the interface toughness. Based on the proposed model, the fraction toughness of a ZnO/Si interface is measured. 22 figures, 2 tables.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
5948030
Report Number(s):
LBL-15892; ON: DE83015959
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English