ABSTRACT

In the last decade, the use of thin film materials has proliferated in a variety of micro-electronic, optical, and biomedical applications [1-3]. Thin films are widely used as insulators or conductors in the magnetic and electronic packaging industries and are often used as corrosion-, wear-, and abrasion-resistant materials. The durability and functionality of a thin film depend not only on the hardness and modulus of the film, but also on the adhesion between the film and the substrate that supports the film. Several techniques have been utilized to evaluate the adhesion properties of thin films, the most common being the peel test [4], the bulge test [5], laser spallation [6], the thin film tensile test [7], and the scratch test [8-11]. However, most of these tests are only qualitative and involve fundamental problems concerning measurable adhesion range and data accuracy. For years, the scratch adhesion test has provided a simple and rapid means of

assessing the adherence of thin films to hard substrates, despite a basic lack of understanding of the mechanics of the testing technique.