Narrow Results

The cracking of GaN films and the associated cracking of substrates are described. The geometry, structure, and evolution of fracture demonstrate that GaN films crack under tensile stress during growth and are subsequently overgrown and partially healed. The film cracks channel along the (1010)_GaN planes and also extend a distance of ~5 μm into the sapphire substrate. These incipient cracks in the substrate form a set of initial flaws that leads to complete fracture through the sapphire during cooling for sufficiently thick films. Each stage of this cracking behavior is well described by a fracture mechanics model that delineates a series of critical thicknesses for the onset of cracking that are functions of the film and substrate stresses, thicknesses, and elastic properties. Similar cracking behavior is found to occur independently of the choice of substrate between sapphire and SiC and is traced to a tensile stress generation mechanism early in the growth process, such as that provided by island coalescence. Cracking is the dominant stress relief mechanism, as opposed to dislocation generation or diffusion, because of the island growth mode and because of optimized growth temperatures at or below the brittle-to-ductile transition. Lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO) of GaN is shown to minimize substrate fracture even though film cracking remains unaffected. This effect explained in terms of the limits placed on the initial extent of insipient substrate cracks due to the LEO geometry.

In this paper, we study the stability of static charged anisotropic cylindrically symmetric compact object through cracking. The Einstein–Maxwell field equations and conservation equation are formulated. We then apply local density perturbation and study the behavior of force distribution function. Finally, the cracking is explored for two models satisfying specific form of Chaplygin equation of state. It is found that these models exhibit cracking and the instability increases as the value of charge parameter is increased.

This paper is devoted to examine the cracking of spherically symmetric anisotropic fluid configuration for polytropic equation of state. For this purpose, we formulate the corresponding field equations as well as generalized Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equation. We introduce density perturbations in matter variables and then construct the force distribution function. In order to examine the occurrence of cracking/overturning, we consider two models corresponding to two values of the polytropic index. It is found that the first model exhibits overturning for the considered values of polytropic constant while the second model neither exhibits cracking nor overturning for larger values of polytropic constant.

The hardness properties of materials are tracked from early history until the present time. Emphasis is placed on the hardness test being a useful probe for determining the local elastic, plastic and cracking properties of single crystal, polycrystalline, polyphase or amorphous materials. Beginning from connection made between individual hardness pressure measurements and the conventional stress–strain properties of polycrystalline materials, the newer consideration is described of directly specifying a hardness-type stress–strain relationship based on a continuous loading curve, particularly, as obtained with a spherical indenter. Such effort has received impetus from order-of-magnitude improvements in load and displacement measuring capabilities that are demonstrated for nanoindentation testing. Details of metrology assessments involved in various types of hardness tests are reviewed. A compilation of measurements is presented for the separate aspects of Hertzian elastic, dislocation-mechanics-based plasticity and indentation-fracture-mechanics-based cracking behaviors of materials, including elastic and plastic deformation rate effects. A number of test applications are reviewed, most notably involving the hardness of thin film materials and coatings.

Inhomogeneous re-oxidation, which causes graded NiO content along anode thickness, has been confirmed to be a key reason for Ni-based cell cracking during redox progress. In this paper, an analytical model is developed to estimate the impact of inhomogeneous re-oxidation on Ni-based solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) oxidation resistance. And experiments, in which the SOFC was partially re-oxidized, were implemented for model trial. Model results show that electrolyte internal stress can be significantly reduced (from 367 MPa to 135 MPa, when the oxidation degree is 60%), and the electrolyte can remain intact even when the oxidation degree reaches about 70%, if the anode was re-oxidized uniformly. This impact of inhomogeneous re-oxidation on stress in the electrolyte decreases as the anode thickness increases. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of partially oxidized anode cross-sections confirmed that Ni oxidation was inhomogeneous, in which the outer regions of the anode became almost fully oxidized, while the inner regions remained metallic. And the inhomogeneity increases with the redox times. Consequently, it is important to avoid gradients in NiO content during oxidation progress to prevent cell cracking.

Following the empirical-computational methodology, the contemporary investigations deal with inelastic stability and dynamics of concrete beam-columns. Even under service loads, the concrete structures exhibit physical nonlinearity due to presence of axio-flexural cracks. The objective of the present paper is to analyze the static and dynamic stability of conservative physically nonlinear fully cracked flanged concrete beam–columns. In this paper, using proper reference frames, analytical expressions are developed for the lateral displacement and stiffness of a flanged concrete cantilever under axial compressive and lateral forces. Two critical values of both the axial and lateral loads are identified. For constant lateral force smaller than its first critical value, the concrete beam–columns exhibit brittle buckling mode. Higher lateral forces lesser than the second critical value introduce alternate stable and unstable domains with increase in axial force. The lateral stiffness is predicted to vanish when the axial loads reach the critical values and when the limiting displacement is reached for axial load exceeding its second critical value. The load-space is partitioned into stable and unstable regions. Accessibility of these equilibrium states in the load space has been investigated. Such distinguishing aspects of the predicted behavior of elastic concrete beam–columns are discussed. Their dynamic stability is investigated in second part of the paper.

In the first part of this paper, elastostatic stability of cracked conservative flanged concrete beam-columns has been analyzed. Using the derived expression for the lateral stiffness under constant axial force, their elastodynamic stability is investigated in this second part. As expected, the instantaneous values of the stiffness and the damping coefficients of the lumped-mass underdamped SDOF nonlinear structures are found to depend upon the vibration amplitude. The natural frequency has been found to vanish at the two critical axial loads defined in the first part. For axial load exceeding the second critical value, the concrete beam-columns in the second equilibrium state are shown to exhibit loss of dynamic stability by divergence. Depending upon the initial conditions, the phase plane has been partitioned into dynamically stable and unstable regions. Under harmonic excitations, the nonlinear dynamical systems exhibit subharmonic resonances and jump phenomena. Loss of dynamic stability has been predicted for some ranges of damping ratio as well as of peak sinusoidal force and forcing frequency. Sensitivity of dynamic stability to the initial conditions and the sense of the peak sinusoidal force have also been predicted. The theoretical significance and the methodology adopted in this paper are also discussed.

In this paper, we have investigated the stability of a spherically symmetric object with charged anisotropic matter by using the concept of cracking. The cracking is a very intuitive technique to check the stability which is based on the analysis of the radial forces that appear on the system due to perturbations taking it out of its equilibrium state. For this, we have applied and studied the effect of local density perturbations to the hydrostatic equilibrium equation and on all the physical parameters with generalized polytropic equation of state. It is found that some of the generalized polytropic models exhibit cracking.

The advent of flat-panel displays has opened the era of macroelectronics. Enthusiasm is gathering to develop macroelectronics as a platform for many technologies, ranging from paper-like displays to thin-film solar cells, technologies that aim to address the essential societal needs for easily accessible information, renewable energy, and sustainable environment. The widespread use of these large structures will depend on their ruggedness, portability and low cost, attributes that will come from new material choices and new manufacturing processes. For example, thin-film devices on thin polymer substrates lend themselves to roll-to-roll fabrication, and impart flexibility to the products. These large structures will have diverse architectures, hybrid materials, and small features; their mechanical behavior during manufacturing and use poses significant challenges to the creation of the new technologies. This paper describes on-going work in the emerging field of research — the mechanics of macroelectronics, with emphasis on the mechanical behavior at the scale of individual features, and over a long time.