SURFACE WRINKLING METROLOGY FOR NANOSCALE POLYMERIC MATERIALS

Jun Young Chung* and Christopher M. Stafford

Nanotechnology promises to revolutionize a growing set of materials applications ranging from electronics to drug delivery to ballistic protection.  However, the quest to engineer materials on the nanoscale is met with the daunting task of measuring the physical and mechanical properties of these systems at these same length scales.  For polymers, the challenge is even greater since conventional materials testing platforms lack the resolution for such soft systems.  In response to these challenges, we have introduced a new metrology tool for measuring the mechanical properties of polymeric thin films via surface wrinkling.  In the presentation, we will address current research pertaining to surface wrinkling metrology for characterizing mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of nanoscale polymeric materials.  We will also demonstrate that precise measurement of the critical strain required to induce wrinkling can provide a unique approach for determining residual stress in coated films.  Lastly, we will present a novel design that employs observations of a thin film suspended over a small circular hole cut into an elastic substrate and discuss that this geometry could simultaneously render the elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio of the film, and residual stress in the film.  In particular, we will demonstrate that this measurement platform is highly conducive to combinatorial and high-throughput approaches.

Jun Young Chung

Postdoctoral Guest Researcher

Polymers Division, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Polymer Bldg. (224), Rm. B216, Mail Stop: 8542

Telephone #: (301) 975-5732

Fax #: (301) 975-4924 

Email: junyoung.chung@nist.gov

Mentor: Christopher M. Stafford

Sigma Xi Member: No

Category: Materials