University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Presents:   John Hutchinson Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering Harvard University "Recent Developments in Thin Film Mechanics" Monday, January 29, 2007 Wu and Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall 3:00 - 4:30pm Reception to follow, Levine Lobby

Abstract:

Thin films are ubiquitous in modern technology as adhesives, protective and wear coatings, and as fundamental structures in electronic and photonic devices and packages.  Layered structures comprised of films of metals, ceramics and polymers are commonly manufactured with large mismatches in elastic moduli and in coefficients of thermal expansion to achieve special functional purposes.  A rich trove of interesting deformation and failure phenomena for thin films has been observed.  Considerable progress in understanding the mechanics underlying these phenomena has occurred over the last decade.  Mechanics principles and approaches have been developed that provide guidelines for circumventing thin film failure modes.  An overview of this progress will be given with particular emphasis on delamination phenomena.  Examples will be drawn from many application areas, including thermal barrier coatings for turbine engines, diamond coatings for wear enhancement, and metal films on flexible polymer substrates for electronic data storage devices.

Brief Biography:

John Hutchinson received his undergraduate education in engineering mechanics at Lehigh University and his graduate education at Harvard University. He joined the Harvard faculty in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 1964 and is currently the Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering at Harvard. Hutchinson, his students and collaborators work on problems in solid mechanics concerned with engineering materials and structures. Buckling, structural stability, elasticity, plasticity, fracture and micro-mechanics are all relevant in their research.  Examples of ongoing research activities are: (1) efforts to extend plasticity theory to small scales, (2) development of a mechanics framework for assessing the durability of thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine engines, (3) development of blast resistance sandwich plate structures, and (4) the mechanics of thin films, coatings and multilayers. Hutchinson is a Fellow of the ASME and a member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences.