Adhesion-energy measurements by means of white-light interferometry and controlled-buckling technique

Adhesion energies between an adhering film and a rigid substrate can be determined by two ways based on film buckling: The theory of Gille and Rau [G. Gille, B. Rau, Thin Solid Films 130 (1984) 109] and the controlled-buckling-technique upon hydrogen loading. Both methods give similar results, but results from Gille and Rau’s theory are very sensitive to morphology variations. These often arise – as shown by 3-D-visualisations of buckle morphologies measured by white-light-interferometry – and might result from local plastic deformations. This would explain large variations in experimental data.