Characterisation of Interfacial Adhesion of Thin Film/Substrate Systems Using Indentation-Induced Delamination: A Focused Review

Abstract

This review summarized the research works on the characterisation of interfacial adhesion in thin film/substrate bilayer structure by use of indentation testing. It focused on the delamination mechanics between a thin film and a substrate induced by indentation and the quantitative characterisation of interfacial strength in such bilayer systems. Three major techniques were introduced, namely conventional indentation, cross-sectional indentation and acoustic emission assisted indentation. A number of theoretical models and finite element simulation studies were discussed, in association with the experimental investigations. Key words:Thin film, bilayer, delamination, adhesion, indentation, acoustic emission

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