| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/C518004/1 |
| Title: |
Deformation of Nanostructures and Small Volumes |
| Principal Investigator: |
Bushby, Professor A |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Materials |
| Organisation: |
Queen Mary University of London |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 March 2005 |
Ends: |
28 February 2010 |
Value (£): |
656,429
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Nanotechnology has been identified world-wide as a crucial area for the advancement of scientific understanding with a clear route to improving quality. of life and creating wealth. However, the deformation behaviour of small volumes of material is not well understood, in particular the effect of the measured hardness increasing as the size of the indentation (and hence of the volume of materials deformed) decreases. Our interdisciplinary approach to this problem is unique internationally and uses techniques and concepts developed in semiconductor technology to solve fundamental problems in materials science and metallurgy.The key aims are to unify the very different theories that are used to explain the mechanical strength of nanostructures in different contexts. Critical thickness theory is highly developed as a way to understand the strained layers used in semiconductor technology. Strain gradient theory has been developed to explain the size effect in which small stressed volumes appear to be stronger. The work at QMUL has introduced two new concepts. The first is that the initiation of plasticity starts throughout a finite minimum volume. The second is that there is a minimum rate of relief of elastic strain energy required to initiate plasticity. These four ideas are undoubtedly different expressions of a single underlying principle, and our central aim in this proposal is to identify that principle through experiment and theoretical development.At Queen Mary, we will design structures to be grown at the Central Facility in Sheffield. We will carry out mechanical tests - nanoindentation, bending, at room temperature and high temperature - and we will use the results to guide theory. Through collaborators at Cambridge, we have access to unique facilities for looking at, for example, the material under a one-micron indent. Through collaborators in industry, we have access to the latest Xray techniques, for analysing, for example, the strains in a bent beam specimen.The total cost of the programme will be about 600000. This is worthwhile and timely since Nanoscale applications need to be underpinned by fundamental research in materials, where EPSRC observe that there are rich new areas for uncovering novel materials behaviour. This proposal falls under the themes of Nanostructured materials, and Materials phenomena and properties, in EPSRC's research priorities.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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Impacts |
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| Description |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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