Automated High-Throughput Fatigue Testing of Freestanding Thin Films.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Microscale mechanical testing is resource-intensive, especially fatigue testing, due to complex sample preparation and experimental demands.
• Current methods for microscale fatigue testing are time-consuming, involving repetitive single-sample experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a new high-throughput methodology for microscale fatigue testing of thin films.
• To significantly reduce the time and resources required for microscale fatigue characterization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based silicon (Si) carrier for simultaneous, independent testing of multiple samples.
• Integrated automated fatigue testing with in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for efficient data acquisition.
• Characterized the microscale fatigue behavior of nanocrystalline aluminum (Al) using the developed methodology.

Main Results:

• Achieved an order-of-magnitude reduction in total testing time compared to traditional methods.
• Demonstrated the capability for high-throughput fatigue testing, enabling efficient characterization of material behavior.
• Highlighted the stochastic nature of microscale fatigue response through the generated dataset.

Conclusions:

• The developed MEMS-based Si carrier and automated testing methodology offer a significant advancement in microscale fatigue testing.
• The high-throughput approach effectively captures the variability inherent in microscale fatigue.
• The methodology is adaptable for testing diverse materials, geometries, and loading conditions, paving the way for broader applications.