Fatigue properties of atomic-layer-deposited alumina ultra-barriers and their implications for the reliability of flexible organic electronics

Journal Article · Mon Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4772471· OSTI ID:22089626

Baumert, E. K.; Pierron, O. N. ^[1]

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1. G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0405 (United States)

The fatigue degradation properties of atomic-layer-deposited alumina, with thickness ranging from 4.2 to 50 nm, were investigated using a silicon micro-resonator on which the coatings were deposited and strained in a static or cyclic manner, with strain amplitudes up to 2.2%, in controlled environments. Based on the measured resonant frequency evolution, post-test scanning electron microscopy observations, and finite element models, it is shown that cracks in the alumina nucleate and propagate under cyclic loading, and that the crack growth rates scale with the strain energy release rates for crack channeling. The implications for the reliability of flexible electronics are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 22089626
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 25; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
AMPLITUDES
COATINGS
CRACK PROPAGATION
DEPOSITION
FATIGUE
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
LAYERS
NANOSTRUCTURES
NUCLEATION
RELIABILITY
RESONATORS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
STRAINS
THICKNESS