A moving-coil designed micro-mechanics tester with application on MEMS

A moving-coil designed micro-mechanics tester, named as MicroUTM (universal testing machine), is in-house developed in this paper for micro-mechanics tests. The main component is a moving coil suspended in a uniform magnetic field through a set of springs. When a current passes through the coil, the electromagnetic force is proportional to the magnitude of the current, so the load can easily be measured by the current. The displacement is measured using a capacitive sensor. The load is calibrated using a Sartorius BP211D analytical balance, with a resolution/range of 0.01 mg/80 g or 0.1 mg/210 g. The displacement is calibrated using a HEIDENHAIN CT-6002 length gauge with an accuracy of +/- 0.1 mu m. The calibration results show that the load range is +/- 1 N and the displacement range is +/- 300 mu m. The noise levels of the load and displacement are 50 mu N and 150 nm, respectively. The nonlinearity of the load is only 0.2%. Several in-plane load tests of the MEMS micro-cantilever are performed using this tester. Experimental results, with excellent repeatability, demonstrate the reliability of the load measurement as well as the flexible function of this tester.

Theory Of Phase Transformation And Reorientation In Single Crystalline Shape Memory Alloys

A constitutive model, based on an (n + 1)-phase mixture of the Mori-Tanaka average theory, has been developed for stress-induced martensitic transformation and reorientation in single crystalline shape memory alloys. Volume fractions of different martensite lattice correspondence variants are chosen as internal variables to describe microstructural evolution. Macroscopic Gibbs free energy for the phase transformation is derived with thermodynamics principles and the ensemble average method of micro-mechanics. The critical condition and the evolution equation are proposed for both the phase transition and reorientation. This model can also simulate interior hysteresis loops during loading/unloading by switching the critical driving forces when an opposite transition takes place.

Micromechanics analysis on evolution of crack in viscoelastic materials

A preliminary analysis on crack evolution in viscoelastic materials was presented. Based on the equivalent inclusion concept of micro-mechanics theory, the explicit expressions of crack opening displacement delta and energy release rate G were derived, indicating that both delta and G are increasing with time. The equivalent modulus of the viscoelastic solid comprising cracks was evaluated. It is proved that the decrease of the modulus comes from two mechanisms: one is the viscoelasticity of the material; the other is the crack opening which is getting larger with time.

Micro-scale Mechanics of the Surface-Nanocrystalline Al-Alloy Material

Based on the microscopic observations and measurements, the mechanical behavior of the surface-nanocrystallized Al-alloy material at microscale is investigated experimentally and theoretically. In the experimental research, the compressive stress-strain curves and the hardness depth curves are measured. In the theoretical simulation, based on the material microstructure characteristics and the experimental features of the compression and indentation, the microstructure cell models are developed and the strain gradient plasticity theory is adopted. The material compressive stress-strain curves and the hardness depth curves-are predicted and simulated. Through comparison of the experimental results with the simulation results, the material and model parameters are determined.

Trans-Scale Mechanics: Looking For The Missing Links Between Continuum And Micro/Nanoscopic Reality

Problems involving coupled multiple space and time scales offer a real challenge for conventional frameworks of either particle or continuum mechanics. In this paper, four cases studies (shear band formation in bulk metallic glasses, spallation resulting from stress wave, interaction between a probe tip and sample, the simulation of nanoindentation with molecular statistical thermodynamics) are provided to illustrate the three levels of trans-scale problems (problems due to various physical mechanisms at macro-level, problems due to micro-structural evolution at macro/micro-level, problems due to the coupling of atoms/molecules and a finite size body at micro/nano-level) and their formulations. Accordingly, non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, coupled trans-scale equations and simultaneous solutions, and trans-scale algorithms based on atomic/molecular interaction are suggested as the three possible modes of trans-scale mechanics.

Micro-scale Plasticity Mechanics=微尺度塑性力学

本书系统地介绍了材料微尺度力学行为的尺寸效应实验现象，重点介绍了几种代表性的微尺度应变梯度塑性理论及对微尺度实验现象的解释；以及对裂纹尖端微尺度范围内解理断裂的应用。融会贯通的介绍了国内外学者的原创性工作和创新性学术思想。 全书共8章。第1章介绍了应变梯度塑性理论的应用背景及经典微极理论；第2章介绍了金属材料典型的微尺度力学实验现象；第3～7章介绍了几种典型的应变梯度理论及其应用；第8章介绍了应变梯度理论在微观断裂力学中的应用。 本书适合从事固体微尺度力学、先进材料的微结构设计与力学性能优化、微机电和微电子元件力学行为研究的科技工作者及工程师使用和参考，也可供力学专业及材料专业的高年级本科生和研究生阅读参考。

Microscale mechanics for metal thin film delamination along ceramic substrates

The metal thin film delamination along metal/ceramic interface in the case of large scale yielding is studied by employing the strain gradient plasticity theory and the material microscale effects are considered. Two different fracture process models are used in this study to describe the nonlinear delamination phenomena for metal thin films. A set of experiments have been done on the mechanism of copper films delaminating from silica substrates, based on which the peak interface separation stress and the micro-length scale of material, as well as the dislocation-free zone size are predicted.

The effects of capillary force in micro or nano-indentation

Models describing wet adhesion between indenters and substrates joined by liquid bridges are investigated. The influences of indenter shapes and various parameters of structures on capillary force are focused. In the former, we consider several shapes, such as conical, spherical and truncated conical indenter with a spherical end. In the latter, the effects of the contact angle, the environmental humidity, the gap between the indenter and the substrate, etc. are included. Different dependences of the capillary force on the indenter shapes and the geometric parameters are observed. Most interesting finding is that applying the present results to micro- and nano-indentation experiments shows the size effect in indentation hardness not produced but underestimated by the effects of capillary force.(4 refs)

Investigations of cohesive zone properties of the interface between metal film and ceramic substrate at nano- and micro-scales

Cohesive zone characterizations of the interface between metal film and ceramic substrate at micro- and nano-scales are performed in the present research. At the nano-scale, a special potential for special material interface (Ag/MgO) is adopted to investigate the interface separation mechanism by using MD simulation, and stress-separation relationship will be obtained. At the micro-scale, peeling experiment is performed for the Al film/Al2O3 substrate system with an adhesive layer at the interface. Adhesive is a mixture of epoxy and polyimide with mass ratio 1:1, by which a brittle cohesive property is obtained. The relationships between energy release rate, the film thickness and the adhesive layer thickness are measured during the steady-state peeling. The experimental result has a similar trend as modeling result for a weak adhesion interface case.

Analysis of micro-indentation problem of a soft film on a hard substrate

Two stages have been observed in micro-indentation experiment of a soft film on a hard substrate. In the first stage, the hardness of the thin film decreases with increasing depth of indentation when indentation is shallow; and in the second stage, the hardness of the film increases with increasing depth of indentation when the indenter tip approaches the hard substrate. In this paper, the new strain gradient theory is used to analyze the micro-indentation behavior of a soft film on a hard substrate. Meanwhile, the classic plastic theory is also applied to investigating the problem. Comparing two theoretical results with the experiment data, one can find that the strain gradient theory can describe the experiment data at both the shallow and deep indentation depths quite well, while the classic theory can't explain the experiment results.

Formation and structure of composite coating of HDA and micro-plasma oxidation on A3 steel

Composite coatings were obtained on A3 steel by hot dipping aluminum(HDA) at 720 ℃ for 6 min and micro-plasma oxidation(MPO) in alkali electrolyte. The surface morphology, element distribution and interface structure of composite coatings were studied by means of XRD, SEM and EDS. The results show that the composite coatings obtained through HDA/MPO on A3 steel consist of four layers. From the surface to the substrate, the layer is loose Al2O3 ceramic, compact Al2O3 ceramic, Al and FeAl intermetallic compound layer in turn. The adhesions among all the layers are strengthened because the ceramic layer formed at the Al surface originally, FeAl intermetallic compound layer and substrate are combined in metallurgical form through mutual diffusion during HDA process.Initial experiment results disclose that the anti-corrosion performance and wear resistance of composite coating are obviously improved through HDA/MPO treatment.

Rarefied Gas Flows in Micro-Channels

利用基于分子模型的统计模拟方法--信息保存方法(IP)统计模拟了实验条件下微槽道气体流动,仔细讨论了用IP方法模拟长槽道稀薄气流时遇到的问题,并给出了解决的方法,即采取守恒形式的控制方程避免质量流量计算误差积累,并利用超松弛方法使收敛过程加速。将IP计算结果与压力分布和质量流量实验数据进行了比较。

Fracture mechanics of piezoelectric materials

This paper presents an analysis of crack problems in homogeneous piezoelectrics or on the interfaces between two dissimilar piezoelectric materials based on the continuity of normal electric displacement and electric potential across the crack faces. The explicit analytic solutions are obtained for a single crack in an infinite piezoelectric or on the interface of piezoelectric bimaterials. For homogeneous materials it is found that the normal electric displacement D-2, induced by the crack, is constant along the crack faces which depends only on the remote applied stress fields. Within the crack slit, the perturbed electric fields induced by the crack are also constant and not affected by the applied electric displacement fields. For bimaterials, generally speaking, an interface crack exhibits oscillatory behavior and the normal electric displacement D-2 is a complex function along the crack faces. However, for bimaterials, having certain symmetry, in which an interface crack displays no oscillatory behavior, it is observed that the normal electric displacement D-2 is also constant along the crack faces and the electric field E-2 has the singularity ahead of the crack tip and has a jump across the interface. Energy release rates are established for homogeneous materials and bimaterials having certain symmetry. Both the crack front parallel to the poling axis and perpendicular to the poling axis are discussed. It is revealed that the energy release rates are always positive for stable materials and the applied electric displacements have no contribution to the energy release rates.

Structural Failure Analysis and Numerical Simulation of Micro-Accelerometers under Impulsive Loading

Micromachined accelerometer is a kind of inertial MEMS devices, which usually operate under intensive impact loading. The reliability of micromachined accelerometers is one of the most important performance indices for their design, manufacture and commer

Micro-Fracture Toughness in a Nanoceramic Composite

Micro-fracture toughness in one nanoceramic composite, Al_2O_3/SiC_{nano}, is measured by Nanoindentation tests. Microscopy is adopted to probe that all nanoindentations are local at Al_2O_3, matrix component of the current composite and measure length of radial micro-cracks at corriers of nanoindentation. The measured fracture toughness at the shallow indentation is higher than those at deeper ones. Relations between micro-toughness and peak loads as well as peak depths are discussed. And an analysis to the energy consumed during the indentation and fracture toughness explained that, the lower fracture toughness measured in the deeper impression probably resulted from its fracture modes yielded by higher load and larger depth.