Macroscopic Modeling of Fine Line Adhesion Tests

Abstract

AbstractMicrowedge Indentation (MWIT) and Precracked Line Scratch (PLST) tests have been developed for adhesion measurements of microscale fine lines. In the MWIT a symmetric wedge-shaped probe is driven downward into a thin film line debonding it from the substrate. For the PLST, a precrack is introduced at one end of a thin metal line on a substrate. The line is loaded from the precrack end by an asymmetric diamond wedge until the crack propagates. When the crack reaches its critical length at a certain critical load, the film buckles.The mechanics of these tests are based on several assumptions of thin line behavior, which are not experimentally observable due to small line sizes and equipment limitations. Testing similar but larger lines allows for the direct observation of line delamination and buckling, which can be used for calculating in-situ crack lengths as well as instantaneous strain energy release rates.Both MWIT and PLST models [1–4] were experimentally verified on the macroscopic scale using polycarbonate as a line material bonded to a steel substrate with cyanoacrylate. New features such as initial crack growth as well as instantaneous crack growth at buckling were observed. Modified Kic tests were performed for strain energy release rate comparison. Adhesion values ranging from 200 to 1000 J/m2 were measured for this system, and had very strong mode mixity dependence. Connectivity to the microscale is through previous experiments by de Boer, et al using fine line W/SiO2/Si systems [ 1–4].