Nanomechanical testing of freestanding polymer films: in situ tensile testing and Tg measurement

Abstract A method for small-scale testing and imaging of freestanding, microtomed polymer films using a push-to-pull device is presented. Central to this was the development sample preparation technique which utilized solvents at cryogenic temperatures transfer deposit delicate thin onto microfabricated devices. The focused ion beam (FIB)-milled tensile specimens enabled quantitative in situ TEM testing, but artifacts associated with electron irradiation motivated FIB-free specimen method. by design fabrication oversized strain-locking An adaptation devices be compatible an instrumented nanoindenter expanded capabilities include heating. These innovations provided mechanical postmortem imaging, ability measure glass transition temperature, via dynamic analysis, freestanding films. Results each these mentioned characterization methods are presented discussed terms nanomechanics. Graphic