Interface fracture toughness evaluation for MA956 oxide film

A material configuration of central importance in microelectronics, optoelectronics, and thermal barrier coating technology is a thin or thick film of one material deposited onto a substrate of a different material. Fabrication of such a structure inevitably gives rise to stress in the film due to lattice mismatch, differing coefficients of thermal expansion, chemical reactions, or other physical effects. Therefore, in general, the weakest link in this composite system often resides at the interface between the film and substrate. In order to make multi-layered electronic devices and structural composites with long-term reliability, the fracture behavior of the material interfaces must be known. A new approach of using a spiral notch torsion fracture toughness test system for evaluating interface fracture toughness are described herein. This innovative technology for measuring interface toughness was demonstrated for oxide scales formed on high-temperature alloys of MA956. The estimated energy release rate (in terms of J-integral) at the interface of the alumina scale and MA956 substrate is 3.7 N-m/m ², and the estimated equivalent Mode I fracture toughness is 1.1 MPa √m.