Characterisation of mechanical properties of electrochemically deposited thin silver layers

Abstract

In the present work, mechanical properties of electrochemically deposited thin silver layers with known thickness over brass substrates were investigated. For determination of mechanical properties of the layers, a method was used which is novel compared to those traditionally used in practice (in which, for example, a tensile test is carried out on a deposit after removal of the deposited layer from the substrate). The method developed and reported here is a combination of microindentation experimentation and numerical simulations and gives the opportunity to obtain mechanical properties of thin layers without their removal from the substrate. Vickers' microindentation experiment of the silver layer was realized and as a result, led to experimental a load–displacement curve. After that the process of microindentation was modelled numerically by means of finite element method. The numerically obtained load–displacement curve was compared with the experimental one and the result shows good correlation between numerical and experimental curves. For some kinds of layers, which are difficult or impossible to strip away from the substrate, this method reported in this paper is the only one feasible.