A.V.Luikov Heat and Mass Transfer Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus offers consumers services for crack resistance control of ceramic materials and coatings using atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation under a outsourcing agreement or subcontract.

A.V.Luikov Heat and Mass Transfer Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has developed a methodology for determining crack resistance (fracture toughness) of ceramic materials and coatings by atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation methods, which, due to its high resolution, allows reducing error in determining critical stress intensity coefficient K_IC by 2...6 times compared to optical and scanning electron microscopy.

The method of atomic force microscopy for precise detection of parameters of deformation patterns and determination of the type of cracks around the imprint allows studying the surface structure with vertical resolution (not less than 1 nm/pixel), revealing subtle features of deformation, dislocations on the surface and fracture of the material, which are not determined either by optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy.

The nanoindentation method using mathematical models for calculating K_IC allows measurements of crack resistance parameters (critical stress intensity coefficient and microhardness) with required error at low (from 0.01 to 0.5 N) and high (from 1.0 to 5.5 N) loads.


Scheme of measurement and AFM visualization.

Application areas: determination of crack resistance of non-metallic brittle materials and coatings used in mechanical engineering, instrumentation, aviation and space industries, microelectronics, microsensory, multiphase ceramic materials.

The Institute offers partners services for crack resistance control of ceramic materials and coatings using atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation under a outsourcing agreement or subcontract.

More details in the dissertation (in Russian) and Catalog «Brands of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2021-2022: list of the most important developments of the NAS of Belarus» (2023), pp.70-71. (in Russian)

The developed methods of atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation allow to reduce error of determination of critical stress intensity factor K_IC by 2...6 times in comparison with optical and scanning electron microscopy.

Registration certificate of trademark № 34694 dated 15.01.2009

Lapitskaya, V. A. The use of AFM in assessing the crack resistance of silicon wafers of various orientations / V. A. Lapitskaya, T. A. Kuznetsova, A. V. Khabarava, S. A. Chizhik, S. M. Aizikovich, E. V. Sadyrin, B. I. Mitrin, Weifu Sun // Engineering Fracture Mechanics. – 2022, V. 259. – p. 107926.

Lapitskaya, V. A. Methods for accuracy increasing of determining the fracture toughness of solid brittle materials / V.A. Lapitskaya, T.A. Kuznetsova, S.A. Chizhik, B. Warcholinski // Instruments and methods of measurement. – 2022. – Т. 13, № 1. – p. 40–49.

A.V.Luikov Heat and Mass Transfer Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is the largest scientific institution in the republic dealing with the solution of fundamental and applied problems of heat and mass transfer, fluid dynamics, power engineering, heat engineering, chemical physics, physics of combustion and explosion, nanotechnology, as well as the creation of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies and equipment, apparatus and devices for power engineering and mechanical engineering, agro-industrial complex and construction industry, medicine, chemical, electronic, radio engineering, food industry, space industry.

The Institute carries out scientific, scientific-organizational, and scientific-production interaction with academic and industrial research institutes, universities, design bureaus, associations, and enterprises of Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Latvia, China, USA, India, Germany, Poland , Czech Republic, Israel, Brazil, Italy, France, and other countries.

Consumers interested in purchasing services for crack resistance control of ceramic materials and coatings using atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation under an outsourcing agreement or subcontract.