Fragmentation testing for ductile thin films on polymer substrates

Fragmentation testing of thin films on substrates has in the past been mostly performed in situ using optical and scanning electron microscopy. While these techniques work well for brittle materials, they cannot always discern the difference between through-thickness cracks (TTCs) and localized plastic deformation of ductile films. Here, we describe fragmentation testing with atomic force microscopy and present criterion to distinguish TTCs and localized deformation for ductile films.