Satya Atluri, University of California at Irvine Hanchen Huang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
This project aims to reveal atomistic mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and agglomeration that triggers delamination of thin films. In almost all thin films, there is strain. The origins of strain may be film-substrate mismatch, defect in the film, and thermal expansion, among others. As a result of the strain, dislocations form, and film substrate delamination occurs when dislocations agglomerate at the film-substrate interface. Mechanisms of the dislocation nucleation and the delamination remain unclear, despite numerous studies at the continuum level. Using a combination of atomistic simulations and meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) equivalent-continuum calculations, the investigators will examine the mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and agglomeration and corresponding delamination processes in strained thin films.
The scientific contribution of this project is in the discovery of atomic mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and agglomeration that triggers delamination. The results may shed lights on feasible means of minimizing or preventing the delamination for technological benefits. A broader impact of this project is the education of graduate students, including students of Hispanic origin in Southern California.
