Understanding mechanisms of adhesion of SiO2 thin films evaporated on a polymeric substrate

International audienceA better understanding of mechanisms of adhesion between a 200 nm thick silicon dioxide layer and a 4.5 µm thick polymeric hardcoat is indispensable for an efficient adhesion at the interface. To reach this purpose, focus is placed on two axes: finding an applicable and effective method to quantify adhesion and in parallel, characterizing mechanical properties of materials composing the system. The second axis is needed to obtain data to feed modeling codes, enabling a better analysis of the adhesion experiment. Modulus of modified Si02 was found to be roughly 20% higher than reference Si02, by nanoindentation. AFM experiments showed no difference between modified and reference Si02• Currently, an investigation to detect cracks at the interface of interest for micro-tensile test is ongoing. Adhesion tests, such as micro-compression will be performed as well