An Accurate Thermomechanical Model for Laser-Driven Microtransfer Printing

A recently developed transfer printing technique, laser-driven noncontact microtransfer printing, which involves laser-induced heating to initiate the separation at the interface between the elastomeric stamp (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)) and hard micro/nanomaterials (e.g., Si chip), is valuable to develop advanced engineering systems such as stretchable and curvilinear electronics. The previous thermomechanical model has identified the delamination mechanism successfully. However, that model is not valid for small-size Si chip because the size effect is ignored for simplification in the derivation of the crack tip energy release rate. This paper establishes an accurate interfacial fracture mechanics model accounting for the size effect of the Si chip. The analytical predictions agree well with finite element analysis. This accurate model may serve as the theoretical basis for system optimization, especially for determining the optimal condition in the laser-driven noncontact microtransfer printing.

Prediction of Interfacial Surface Energy and Effective Fracture Energy From Contaminant Concentration in Polymer-Based Interfaces

The principals of interfacial fracture mechanics and modified Gibbs adsorption equation are utilized to provide a predictive correlation for the macroscopic (effective) fracture toughness of polymer-based adhesive interfaces, exposed to varying level of contaminant concentration. The macroscopic fracture toughness measurement by double cantilever beam test exhibits a progressive deterioration with the increase of the contaminant surface concentration. The associated variation of fracture surface morphology exhibits ductile-to-brittle failure transition, caused by the contamination-induced suppression of plastic deformation within the adhesive layer. The corresponding intrinsic interfacial surface energy is extracted by finite-element simulation, employing surface-based cohesive elements. The modified Gibbs adsorption equation is utilized to correlate the contamination-induced degradation of the interfacial surface energy as a function of contaminant surface concentration. Interfacial fracture mechanics principals are applied to extend the correlation to the macroscopic fracture toughness of the interface. With additional examination of other systems, the proposed correlation may provide the basis for nondestructive evaluation of bond line integrity, exposed to different levels of contaminant.

Adhesion and Degradation of Organic and Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Light-Emitting Devices

This paper presents the results of a combined analytical, computational and experimental study of adhesion and degradation of Organic Light Emitting Devices (OLEDs). The adhesion between layers that are relevant to OLEDs is studied using force microscopy during Atomic Force Microscopy. The interfacial failure mechanisms associated with blister formation in OLEDs and the addition of TiO2nanoparticles (into active regions) are then elucidated using a combination of fracture mechanics/finite element modeling and experiments. The blisters observed in the models are shown to be consistent with the results from adhesion and interfacial fracture mechanics models. The implications of the work are discussed for the future design of OLED structures with improved lifetimes and robustness.

Interfacial Fracture Analysis of Adhesive-Bonded Joints

The failure in an adhesive-bonded structure starts at the interface, and the interfacial fracture is of interest whenever adhesion between different materials is concerned. One of primary factors limiting the application of adhesive-bonded joints to structural design is the lack of a good evaluation tool for adhesion strength to predict the load-bearing capacity of boned joints. The adhesion strength of composite/steel bonding has been evaluated using interfacial fracture mechanics characterization. The energy release rate of a composite/steel interfacial crack was compared with the fracture toughness of the interface, which was measured from bi-material end notched flexure (ENF) specimens, to predict the failure loads of bi-material lap joints. Fracture toughness, IIc G , was regarded as a property of the interface rather than a property of the adhesive. The results show that interfacial fracture mechanics characterization of adhesion strength can be a practical engineering tool for predicting the load-bearing capacities of adhesive-bonded joints.