Abstract
While cracks are usually considered detrimental, crack generation can be harnessed for various applications, for example in ceramic materials, via directing crack propagation and crack opening. Here, we find that electron beam irradiation prompts a crack suppression phenomenon in a copper (Cu) thin film on a polyimide substrate, allowing for the control of crack formation in terms of both location and shape. Under tensile strain, cracks form on the unirradiated region of the Cu film whereas cracks are prevented on the irradiated region. We attribute this to the enhancement of the adhesion at the Cu–polyimide interface by electrons transmitted through the Cu film. Finally, we selectively form conductive regions in a Cu film on a polyimide substrate under tension and fabricate a strain-responsive organic light-emitting device.
Highlights
While cracks are usually considered detrimental, crack generation can be harnessed for various applications, for example in ceramic materials, via directing crack propagation and crack opening
Controlling the shape and area of crack formation in thin metallic films is even more challenging compared to ceramic thin films because the general crack formation behavior of metallic films is very different from the crack formation behavior of ceramic thin films due to completely different fracture mechanisms arising from plastic deformation in metals[10]
Samples, each consisting of an array of 100-nm-thick rectangular (100 × 100 μm) Cu thin film on a 125-μm-thick PI substrate, were exposed to e-beam irradiation with an acceleration voltage (VA) of 25 kV in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and subsequently observed under in situ tensile testing with gradually increasing tensile strain (ε) oriented along the vertical direction in Fig. 1b to f
Summary
While cracks are usually considered detrimental, crack generation can be harnessed for various applications, for example in ceramic materials, via directing crack propagation and crack opening. We found that when the electron beam (e-beam) irradiates the surface of a 100-nm-thick Cu film deposited on a polyimide (PI) substrate, the crack formation is significantly suppressed so that the e-beam-irradiated area is hardly cracked, even at a tensile strain of 30%.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
