Speaker
Description
Small-scale thin films are frequently used in microelectronic devices and micro-electro-
mechanical systems where they are commonly subjected to high strains during their dynamic
motion. However, mechanical behavior of thin films significantly differs from the behavior
observed in bulk materials. To understand the size dependent properties of deformation
mechanisms, characterization of the grain properties of nano-scale materials is essential along
with mechanical tests. A promising method is in-situ transmission electron microscopy
deformation, which combines mechanical tests on a nano-scale with a direct observation of
the structure even with an atomic resolution. Thin Al-based free-standing films prepared by
DC magnetron sputtering were characterized by atomic force microscopy, conventional and
in-situ transmission electron microscopy and automatic phase and orientation mapping in
TEM.
