Failure of a brittle layer on a ductile substrate: Nanoindentation experiments and FEM simulations

Functional devices such as microelectronic systems, solar cells and power devices are composed of complex stacks of various materials, including semiconductors, ceramics and metallic alloys. The knowledge of the mechanical response of those stacks is a key point, as they are submitted to harsh stresses during the fabrication process (induced by thermal treatments, mechanical polishing, packaging processes, ...) as well as during the device lifetime.