Determination of Fracture Toughness for Metal/Polymer Interfaces Available to Purchase

This work focuses on the interpretation of experimental results obtained from fracture toughness tests conducted for a typical metal/polymer bimaterial interface similar to those encountered in electronic packaging applications. Test specimens with pre-implanted interfacial cracks were subjected to a series of fracture toughness tests. Interfacial fracture toughness is interpreted from the experimental results as the critical energy release rate (G_c) at the instant of crack advance. The values of G_c from the experiments are determined using direct data reduction methods assuming linear elastic material behavior. These G_c values are compared to critical energy release rate values predicted by closed-from analyses of the tests, and to critical J-integral values obtained from finite-element analyses of the test specimen geometries. The closed-form analyses assume linear elastic material behavior, while the finite-element analyses assume both linear elastic as well as elastic-plastic material behaviors.