Measurement of material properties under local tensile stress through contact mechanics
AssigneeMassachusetts Materials Technologies LLC
InventorsSimon C. Bellemare, Steven D. Palkovic, Brendon M. Willey, Phillip A. Soucy
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Abstract
An apparatus for performing a contact mechanics test in a substrate includes a stylus having at least two contact elements. Each contact element has a contact profile, and the contact elements are disposed in the stylus to define a stretch passage therebetween. The stylus is configured to deform the substrate so as to cause the substrate to flow between the contact elements and induce tension in the substrate in order to generate and preserve micromodifications in the substrate. Methods of performing a contact mechanics test using the apparatus are also provided.
Claims16
An apparatus for performing a contact mechanics test in a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a stylus having at least two contact elements configured to engage with the substrate, each contact element having a contact profile, the at least two contact elements spaced apart to define a stretch passage between the at least two contact elements;
- and
- a system configured to move the stylus laterally along a substrate surface as the at least two contact elements deform the substrate, the stylus configured to separate the substrate to form a ligament in the stretch passage when the substrate flows between the at least two contact elements and configured to induce tension in the ligament due to opposing forces of the at least two contact elements and the substrate to generate and preserve micromodifications in the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.