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Extracting the elastic moduli of the constituent layers of a multilayered thin film from nanoindentation tests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2013

Chunyu Zhang ,
Meng Zhao ,
Yulan Liu  and
Biao Wang
Chunyu Zhang
Affiliation:
Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082 Guangdong, China
Meng Zhao
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 Guangdong, China
Yulan Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 Guangdong, China
Biao Wang*
Affiliation:
Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082 Guangdong, China; and School of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 Guangdong, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: wangbiao@mail.sysu.edu.cn
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Abstract

Multilayer thin films have been widely used for their enhanced mechanical and tribological properties relative to the monolayers of equivalent thickness. However, the mechanical properties of the each constituent layer are rarely investigated due to the difficulty in separating the effects of the constituent layers. An inverse analysis method to identify the elastic moduli of the constituent layers of multilayer films is developed by fitting the finite element calculations with indentation measurements within the framework of numerical optimization. The method is verified against typical monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer film structures both numerically and experimentally. Uniqueness and substrate-independence of the extracted moduli are ensured by the multiple loading–unloading cycles of the indentation tests. The method provides a feasible way to characterize the intrinsic mechanical properties of the constituent layers of multilayered thin films and further to explore the dominant mechanism for the enhancement of their mechanical properties.

Keywords

elastic propertiesthin filmnano-indentation
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 28 , Issue 18 , 28 September 2013 , pp. 2570 - 2576
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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References

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