Atomic Simulation of Temperature Effect on the Mechanical Properties of Thin Films

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The molecular dynamic technique was used to simulate the nano-indentation test on the thin films of silver, titanium, aluminum and copper which were coated on the silicone substrate. The mechanical properties of the selected thin films were studied in terms of the temperature. The temperature was changed from 193 K to 793 K with an increment of 100 K. To investigate the effect of temperature on the mechanical properties, two different ways including step by step and continuous ways, were used. The temperature in the indentation region was controlled and the effect of temperature increase due to the friction between the indenter and the film was taken into account. The temperature effects on the material structure, piling-up and sinking-in phenomena were also considered. The results show that the elasticity modulus and hardness of thin films decrease by increasing temperature. These mechanical properties also decreased due to the increase in temperature, in the indentation region, which in turn was due to the interaction between the indenter and the thin film.