Recent developments in thin film adhesion measurement

Interfacial fracture energies of thin films may be calculated using many different techniques. Nanoindentation and stressed overlayers are by far the most common and more reliable of the testing techniques. They depend on mechanics-based models to calculate the interfacial fracture energy of an interface using only the site specific material properties and the dimensions of the delaminated region, either in spontaneous buckle or indentation-induced blister form. This study will focus on four adhesion measurement techniques: spontaneous buckles, stressed overlayer-induced buckles, and nanoindentation-induced blisters with and without stressed overlayers, to demonstrate that the techniques will produce similar results for the measurement of adhesion energy. Films of tungsten (W), platinum (Pt), and titanium (Ti) on SiO₂ (amorphous glass) substrates are examined and values of interfacial fracture energies reported. Results of interfacial fracture energy calculated from spontaneous buckles and indentation-induced blisters compare well to one another and values are reported for the aforementioned films.