Thin film adhesion: New possibilities for interface engineering

The good adhesion performance of a thin film on a solid substrate is now understood to depend on a variety of the attributes of the interface region, including its atomic bonding structure, its elastic moduli and state of stress, and its thickness, purity and fracture toughness. Many of these qualities can be explicitly tailored during film deposition to enhance the resulting bond. Many opportunities exist for new research in this area, and this paper is intended to review some of these possibilities. References to other more detailed publications are cited. © 1988.