ABSTRACT
The demands imposed on mechanical durability of film-substrate systems in many leading technologies (particularly microelectronics, photonics and biomaterials) are becoming more stringent and, thus, associated problems have to be understood and solved. Film-substrate systems are subjected to internal stresses, caused by thermoelastic mismatch, or to external mechanical stresses applied monotonically or cyclically. When reaching critical levels, these stresses may activate damage mechanisms such as cracking and de-adhesion of the film. Identifying these failures and understanding the critical conditions which cause them is essential, prior to any technological application of the system.
