Substrate slip steps promote cracking and buckling of thin brittle film

Abstract

Cracking and buckling are the two major failure phenomena of brittle film/metal substrate structures. Herein, by depositing titanium nitride brittle films with strong and poor adhesion on stainless steel substrates, we report that the substrate slip steps promote the cracking and the ensuing buckling process of them. The large stress concentration at the interface due to film the inhibitory effect on dislocations in the substrate, contributes to the film breakage and the interface delamination. The small separation of interface allows the easier formation of slip steps, thus accelerating the buckling process under compressive stress due to Poisson's contraction.