Collaborative Research: Deciphering the Reliability of Nano Ceramic Films on Polymer Substrates: A Mechanistic Study

摘要这项合作研究的目的是探索聚合物衬底上纳米陶瓷薄膜在单调和循环载荷下的断裂和疲劳机制。聚合物衬底上的功能纳米陶瓷薄膜正在成为实现柔性电子和下一代生物活性植入物等有前景的技术的关键构建块。大的机械失配和大的机械载荷导致了聚合物衬底上陶瓷薄膜的复杂而丰富的断裂行为，这些行为还远未得到很好的了解。特别是，最近的实验表明，聚合物衬底上的氧化铟锡薄膜在循环载荷下的疲劳损伤，这一现象不能用传统的疲劳机制来解释。上述前景看好的技术的未来成功取决于对聚合物衬底上纳米陶瓷薄膜断裂和疲劳的机理了解。在这个项目中，将建立一个协作研究框架(从解析建模、模拟到现场实验)，以研究控制聚合物基片上纳米陶瓷薄膜机械可靠性的尚未探索的机制。聚合物基片上的功能纳米陶瓷薄膜失效的潜在后果在柔性电子和生物活性植入物中具有重要意义。这项拟议的研究将为管理柔性设备和生物活性植入物可靠性的尚未探索的机制提供基本见解，并使这些新兴技术的纳米制造战略更加强大。通过利用网络基础设施，该项目的新知识将传播给更广泛的受众，新一代学生将具备跨学科的视角。

Abstract The objective of this collaborative research is to explore the fracture and fatigue mechanisms of nano ceramic films on polymer substrates under monotonic and cyclic loadings. Functional nano ceramic films on polymer substrates are emerging as key building blocks to enable promising technologies, such as flexible electronics and next generation bioactive implants. The huge mechanical mismatch and large mechanical loads lead to complex and rich fracture behaviors of thin ceramic films on polymer substrates, which are far from well understood. In particular, recent experiments showed fatigue damage of indium tin oxide films on polymer substrates under cyclic loads, a phenomenon that cannot be explained by conventional fatigue mechanisms. The future success of abovementioned promising technologies is contingent to the mechanistic understanding of the fracture and fatigue of nano ceramic films on polymer substrates. In this project, a collaborative research framework (from analytic modeling, simulations to in situ experiments) will be built to investigate the yet-unexplored mechanisms that govern the mechanical reliability of nano ceramic films on polymer substrates. The potential consequence of failure in functional nano ceramic films on polymer substrates is significant in flexible electronics and bioactive implants. The proposed research will offer fundamental insights into the yet-unexplored mechanisms that govern the reliability of flexible devices and bioactive implants, and enable more robust nanomanufacturing strategies of these emerging technologies. By leveraging cyberinfrastructure, the new knowledge from the project will be disseminated to reach much broader audience, and a new generation of students will be equipped with interdisciplinary perspectives.