Mechanical response of thin films with helical microstructures

Abstract

A nanoindentation technique has been applied to demonstrate the mechanical actuation of thin films fabricated by glancing angle deposition. The films were comprised of a porous layer whose microstructures consisted of helical columns that resembled springs. Surmounting the porous layer was a dense capping layer which served to redistribute the force of the nanoindenter tip and prevent it from penetrating the microstructured film. Atomic force microscope images and force versus displacement curves confirmed that there was an elastic regime to the displacements in the films when low forces were applied. The loading behavior of the porous films was compared with that of dense, unstructured films and revealed a marked difference between the two. A study of the measurements and results enabled such properties as the spring constant and resonant frequencies to be estimated, establishing a basis for future developments and applications in wave-type devices or resonators constructed from these microstructured thin films.