Description of the Symposium by the organizers:

"Dear GDRi network,

the 17th European Mechanics of Materials conference will be held from 27th to 29th of May 2020 in Madrid, Spain. The conference covers several different aspects of mechanics – including experimental methods to understand the mechanical behavior of various materials across all length scales. Part of the conference will be a symposium on “Experimental Nanomechanics” organized by Frédéric Mompiou (CEMES Toulouse, France) and Christoph Kirchlechner (MPIE Düsseldorf, Germany).

The symposium focuses on nano- and micromechanical testing coupled with advanced in situ techniques. Characterization techniques envisioned comprise (but are not limited to) transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and synchrotron-based techniques. The contributions should aim for understanding plasticity, fracture and fatigue at

• grain and phase boundaries
• amorphous / crystalline interfaces
• free surfaces
• multilayered systems
• super lattices

More information can be found at http://www.emmc17.org/symposium-s13.html .

Please note the deadline for abstract submission is on 3rd  of December. December 16th, 2019.

Best regards

Frédéric Mompiou and Christoph Kirchlechner"

The Institut Pprime is looking for two master student (last year) for internship on nanotwinned gold thin films.

First internship:

Subject: Atomic scale simulations of nanotwinned gold thin films.

Aim: The aim of this internship is to establish via atomistic scale simulations the elastic strain field associated with different nanotwinned thin film microstructures. Equilibrium conditions will be determined using semi-empirical potentials, that are reliable for gold. In a first step, a simple configuration with a unique twin and periodic boundary conditions will be worked out. This will allow studying the impact of the twins’ density and thickness.More sophisticated and larger systems will then be considered, with several twins having different orientations.

Dates: the internship is available from February to September 2020, with a vacation period in August.

Required skills: Applicant has to be in final year of Master and/or engineering school with a background in solid-state physics or materials science. A strong interest in computer simulations.

More information on the subject, and application can be found in the following document:

« stage_M2_Brochard-Durinck_PtyMet_2019_en.pdf »

Second internship:

Subject: Preparation and characterization of homogeneous nanotwinned gold thin films

Aim: Various optimizations of the sputtering conditions are envisaged: deposition temperature, substrate, acceleration voltage, etc. The student will work with several techniques:

• Physical vapor deposition (sputtering) of the thin films.
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (i) bright field images with large field of view of the sample, (ii) dark field images to select one chosen twin family, (iii) in high-resolution mode to show the roughness of the twin boundaries.
• X-Ray diffraction to determine with pole figures the twinned volume on a representative (millimetric) scale.
• Focused ion beam to prepare thin foils for TEM and to observe the film surfaces in scanning electron microscopy.

Dates: The internship is available from February to September 2020, with a vacation period in August.

Required skills: Applicant has to be in final year of Master and/or engineering school with a background in solid-state physics or materials science. A strong interest in computer simulations.

More information on the subject, and application can be found in the following document:

« stage_M2_Michel_Renault_PtyMet_2019_en.pdf »

They are studying the adhesion of thin SiCN films (40 to 120nm thick) deposited on Cu (a few µm) itself deposited on a 300mm Si substrate (550µm thick). They especially focus on the impact of the SiCN deposition process (and surface preparation) on the final adhesion energy.

They use an original approach based on the Colored Picosecond Acoustic Technique to evaluate adhesion in a quantitative manner. Such a technique uses ultra high frequency acoustic waves to probe the interface quality. they would like to compare our results to those obtained using a well-recognized technique like 4 points bend adhesion testing.

They are looking for a research group to collaborate with on that subject. An expertise on 4 points bend technique and especially applied to microelectronic samples and ultra-thin films is preferred.

Preliminary 4 points bending measurements on similar samples revealed an adhesion energy in the range 2 to 20 J/m² . Those results have been obtained using a force not higher than 50 N and the displacement was in the range 60-80 µm before delamination.

For more information, or collaboration please contact Dr. Arnaud Devos, at IEMM, Lille in France (arnaud.devos@isen.fr)

The Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH (MPIE) and Bruker are pleased to announce Nanobrücken 2020: Nanomechanical Testing Conference & Bruker User Meeting, which will take place February 4–6 at MPIE located in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Please save the date in your calendar and register to secure your seat at Nanobrücken 2020. Topics will include advanced nanoindentation and associated techniques, in-situ testing in SEM/TEM, theory/simulation and biomechanical testing:

• Discover new trends in nanomechanical and nanotribological testing
• Learn from internationally renowned researchers
• Participate in hands-on, practical workshops
• Network and collaborate during nightly social events
• Student talk and poster competitions

Abstract Submission Deadline: Friday, November 29, 2019.

More information can be found here.

The International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF) is the premier international conference in the field of thin film deposition , characterization , and advanced surface engineering. Focus on two symposium:

Symposium H: Advanced Characterization Techniques for Coatings, Thin Films, and Small Volumes

Chairs: Benoit Merle (University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany) and Marco Sebastiani (Roma TRE University, Italy)

This symposium focuses on recent advances in the structural, microstructural, and mechanical characterization of coatings and thin films, which enhance our understanding of the growth and surface modification processes as well as the fundamental structure-property-processing relationships. Of interest are contributions that either highlight the application of, or draw attention to, recent advances in analytical methods, characterization techniques, and novel nano-mechanical testing methods for coating evaluation. Analytical methods may include numerical evaluation and quantification procedures (e.g., factor analysis, depth profiling, 3D mapping, etc.) to reveal the micro- and nano-structure, chemical composition, residual stress, chemical states, and phases of coatings, thin films, interfaces, and surfaces during or after surface modification. Micro- and nanomechanical methods may include compression, bending, or toughness testing to determine coating behavior, particularly at elevated/service temperatures and in harsh environments, and the relationship to coating performance and lifetime. Residual stress analysis, phase characterization, surface topography probes, compositional analysis, high-resolution spatial imaging and analysis, and hardness measurements continue to be subjects of interest in the sessions. In-situ characterization methods and other novel techniques presenting the combination between microstructural nano-mechanical probes are highly encouraged.

• H1: Spatially-resolved and In-Situ Characterization of Thin Films and Engineered Surfaces
• H2: Advanced Mechanical Testing of Surfaces, Thin Films, Coatings and Small Volumes
• H3: Characterization of Coatings and Small Volumes in Harsh Environments

Symposium E: Tribology and Mechanical Behavior of Coatings and Engineered Surfaces

Particular focus on:

E2: Mechanical Properties and Adhesion:

This session is devoted to the measurement and modeling of mechanical properties of surface and near-surface regions of thin films, coatings, and surface-engineered bulk materials. We are interested in measurement methods and models for the quantitative determination of mechanical properties, residual stresses, interface adhesion, fatigue, and fracture toughness. Emphasis will be given to contributions on novel test methods, such as in situ testing in SEM or TEM, multi-axial contact mechanics, MEMS test beds, and new approaches for the extraction of mechanical and constitutive properties by modeling of indentation load-displacement curves. Finally, special consideration will be given to contributions that address processing-structure- mechanical property relationships across multiple length scales.

Invited Speakers: Bo-Shiuan Li (University of Oxford, UK) and Corinne Packard (Colorado School of Mines, USA, “Controlled Spalling of Microscale, Single-Crystal Films of High-Quality, High-Value Semiconductors”)

Call for Abstracts Deadline: October 1, 2019

For more information, and submission please follow the link: icmctf2020.avs.org