Advances in thin film deposition technologies and material development have enabled innovations in a wide range of industries. Examples of this are evident in microelectronics, display, energy, optoelectronics, bio-medical, and many other industries.

Decreasing film thicknesses and manufacturing complexities pose new challenges for academic and industrial researchers. As coatings become thinner, material properties such as elastic modulus, hardness, adhesion, and friction become increasingly difficult to measure. These difficulties are particularly relevant for industrial process and quality control, where reliable characterization of film properties during and after production is critical to ensuring high yield and a consistent final product.

Oxide films for dielectrics, metals and nitrides for electrodes and interconnects, and diamond-like carbon films for abrasion resistance are just a few prime examples where thin films are already employed and must be characterized. Controlled engineering of these thin films is essential and presents a challenge. Highly precise force, displacement, and positioning control are requirements for continued improvement in the measurement of properties and performance of these advanced materials systems.

In this webinar we will review many of the current challenges in thin film mechanical characterization and analysis and present new and existing techniques that offer significant benefits for such challenging problems.

Who should attend?

Researchers involved in the development, production, or mechanical characterization of thin films and coatings.

You’ll learn about:

  • Current challenges faced in thin film characterization
    -  Sensitivity and noise limitations
    -  Repeatability and reproducibility 
    -  Adhesion measurement
    - Substrate effects
    -  Electrical characterization
  • Tools & techniques for nanomechanical testing of thin films
     -  Nanoindentation
     -  Nanoscratch testing
     -  Substrate corrections
     -  nanoECR
  • Applications and case studies using Hysitron techniques
     -  Ultra-thin DLC
     -  Thin oxides
     -  ALD films
     -  Low-κ films