Buckling propagation of thin films on elastic substrates under alternating load

Thin metal films deposited on elastic substrates are widely used as electrodes and interconnects in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and their fatigue property needs to be sufficiently understood. In this paper, the buckling propagation of nano-thin film relying on a substrate under alternating load has been experimentally studied. The effect of loading condition on buckling propagation is discussed in terms of the frequency, film thickness and number of cycles. In particular, buckling growth rate has been analyzed by means of digital image processing technology. Moreover, two kinds of samples have been designed to compare the influence of different materials.