Experiments with in-situ thin film telephone cord buckling delamination propagation

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Abstract
There are many different stress relief mechanisms observed in thin films. One of the mechanisms involves film debonding from the substrate. In the case of tensile residual stress a network of through-thickness cracks forms in the film. In the case of compressive residual stress thin film buckling and debonding from the substrate in the form of blisters is observed. The buckling delamination blisters can be either straight, or form periodic buckling patterns commonly known as telephone cord delamination morphology.The mechanics of straight-sided blisters is well understood. Current study relies on the in-situ observation of phone cord delamination propagation in different thin film/substrate systems. Both straight and phone cord delaminations are shown to simultaneously propagate in the same film system. Straight-sided blisters propagate several times faster than the phone cords, and may be followed by thin film fracture along the line of maximum film buckling amplitude. Phone cord delaminations originally start as straight-sided blisters, but then deviate to the periodic phone cord geometry due to the fact that the compressive residual stress in the film is biaxial. Digital analysis of motion recordings shows that partial crack “healing” is present at the curved portions of the phone cords due to the “secondary” buckling pushing thin film back to the substrate. These experimental observations allow for the correct interpretation of the telephone cord delamination morphology.