Photoacoustic characterization of the mechanical properties of thin film materials

Two high frequency photoacoustic techniques were applied to investigate the mechanical properties of two sets of thin film materials in this work. Broadband photoacoustic guided-wave method was used to measure the guided-wave phase velocity dispersion curves of nano-structured diamond-like carbon hard coatings. The experimental velocity spectra were analyzed by a nonlinear optimization approach in conjunction with a multi-layer wave-propagation model. The derived Young's moduli using the broadband photoacoustic technique were compared with line-focus acoustic microscopy and nano-indentation tests and good quantitative agreement is found. In a second set of experiments, ultra-thin two-layer aluminum and silicon nitride thin film materials were tested using the femtosecond transient pump-probe method using high frequency bulk waves generated by the ultra-fast laser pulses. The measured moduli of silicon nitride thin layers are in the range of 270 - 340 GPa. Photoacoustic methods are shown to be suitable for in-situ and non-destructive evaluation of the mechanical properties of thin films.