The micropillar compression test is a novel experiment to study the mechanical properties of materials at small length scales of micro and nano. The results of the micropillar compression experiments show that the strength of the material depends on the pillar diameter, which is commonly termed as size effects. In the current work, first, the experimental observations and theoretical models of size effects during micropillar compression tests are reviewed in the case of crystalline metals. In the next step, the recent computer simulations using molecular dynamics are reviewed as a powerful tool to investigate the micropillar compression experiment and its governing mechanisms of size effects.
A simple physical masking method is presented for selective atomic layer deposition (ALD). Iron powder and a magnet are used as a masking pair. This method is easy and efficient for depositing patterned thin films with feature sizes estimated 0.3 mm or larger on any substrate. In this work, using iron powder held in place by a magnet would mask part of the silicon wafer substrate, while no iron powder is on the unmasked part. A silver particulated thin film was deposited on the masked Si wafer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used for silver characterization on the masked and unmasked parts of the sample. Results indicated that an ALD-like surface growth of a silver thin film occurred on the unmasked Si wafer, and no growth was detected on the masked portion of the Si wafer.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.