High-Throughput Measurements of Polymer Adhesion and Mechanical Properties | NIST

INTRODUCTION Polymer adhesion is important to numerous technologies including electronic packaging, coatings and paints, biomedical implants, and pressure-sensitive adhesives. The challenge is to understand the fundamental driving forces for the development of adhesive strength at polymer polymer, metal, ceramic, and biomaterial interfaces in multivariable environments. Current methods for characterizing adhesion with combinatorial methodologies are challenged by both experimental geometry and throughput issues. In response to this, our goal is to develop a methodology for quantitatively measuring the adhesive strength of polymer interfaces in a combinatorial manner. Likewise, there is a need for a simple, robust, and flexible measurement technique for the mechanical properties of thin polymer films. This combinatorial technique would benefit the coating, semiconductor, and optical adhesives industry. Conventional techniques to measure the bulk mechanical properties of coatings utilize dynamic mechanical analysis, a universal testing machine, or a depth sensing indentation instrument to measure Young’s modulus. These techniques are not easily extendable to thin (thickness < 50 μm) or combinatorial samples. We have developed a combinatorial method for the measurement of the tensile modulus of thin films. This technique quickly provides quantitative information on a variety of sample classes with minimal sample preparation.