Modeling thermal fatigue cracking in integrated circuits by level sets and the extended finite element method

As the demand for faster electronic devices increases, the spacing between interconnect wiring lines within integrated circuits decreases. In this work, an algorithm which couples the level set method with the extended finite element method is used to investigate the effects of the proximity of multiple interconnect lines, multiple cracks, interconnect material, and integrated circuit boundaries on the growth of cracks due to fatigue from thermal cycling. By incorporating enrichment functions to treat displacement discontinuities, these combined methods allow for the crack to pass arbitrarily through elements without the need for remeshing. In the framework of a two-dimensional model where interconnect lines are represented by material inclusions, it is shown that when interconnects are spaced close to one another, cracks can either get quite long or potentially connect with nearby cracks. We illustrate that fatigue cracks approaching a boundary tend to grow along it. It is also shown that the ratio of the Young’s modulus of the interconnect to the Young’s modulus of the substrate affects crack growth as well. The numerical investigation presented here indicates that if the spacing between interconnect lines decreases to a significant degree, the integrity of integrated circuits may be compromised.     

Three‐dimensional fatigue crack growth modelling in a helical gear using extended finite element method

In this paper, the fatigue crack growth in helical gear tooth root has been simulated using linear elastic fracture mechanics. The extended finite element method has been used to simulate 3D fatigue crack growth and obtain growth path. Paris equation has been used to calculate the fatigue life of the gear. The modelling time has reduced considerably compared to previous works carried out on 3D crack growth in gears. Some verifications have been carried out to ensure the reliability of the results.     

A contact algorithm for frictional crack propagation with the extended finite element method

We present an incremental quasi‐static contact algorithm for path‐dependent frictional crack propagation in the framework of the extended finite element (FE) method. The discrete formulation allows for the modeling of frictional contact independent of the FE mesh. Standard Coulomb plasticity model is introduced to model the frictional contact on the surface of discontinuity. The contact constraint is borrowed from non‐linear contact mechanics and embedded within a localized element by penalty method. Newton–Raphson iteration with consistent linearization is used to advance the solution. We show the superior convergence performance of the proposed iterative method compared with a previously published algorithm called ‘LATIN’ for frictional crack propagation. Numerical examples include simulation of crack initiation and propagation in 2D plane strain with and without bulk plasticity. In the presence of bulk plasticity, the problem is also solved using an augmented Lagrangian procedure to demonstrate the efficacy and adequacy of the standard penalty solution. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On enrichment functions in the extended finite element method

This paper presents mathematical derivation of enrichment functions in the extended finite element method for numerical modeling of strong and weak discontinuities. The proposed approach consists in combining the level set method with characteristic functions as well as domain decomposition and reproduction technique. We start with the simple case of a triangular linear element cut by one interface across which displacement field suffers a jump. The main steps towards the derivation of enrichment functions are as follows: (1) extension of the subfields separated by the interface to the whole element domain and definition of complementary nodal variables; (2) construction of characteristic functions for describing the geometry and physical field; (3) determination of the sets of basic nodal variables; (4) domain decompositions according to Step 3 and then reproduction of the physical field in terms of characteristic functions and nodal variables; and (5) comparison of the piecewise interpolations formulated at Steps 3 and 4 with the standard extended finite element method form, which yields enrichment functions. In this process, the physical meanings of both the basic and complementary nodal variables are clarified, which helps to impose Dirichlet boundary conditions. Enrichment functions for weak discontinuities are constructed from deeper insights into the structure of the functions for strong discontinuities. Relationships between the two classes of functions are naturally established. Improvements upon basic enrichment functions for weak discontinuities are performed so as to achieve satisfactory convergence and accuracy. From numerical viewpoints, a simple and efficient treatment on the issue of blending elements is also proposed with implementation details. For validation purposes, applications of the derived functions to heterogeneous problems with imperfect interfaces are presented. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Combination of the material force concept and the extended finite element method for mixed mode crack growth simulations

A novel approach to simulate crack growth within an extended finite element framework is presented. The introduced approach combines the material force concept and the extended finite element method (xFEM) that is not straight forward and faces the major problem that a crack tip node, which is required for the evaluation of the material force, is not available within an xFEM framework. The introduced concept enables an efficient single step evaluation of the crack state and the crack growth direction based on a continuum mechanics approach and represents an alternative to the common procedure of using the stress intensity factor solution within a stress or energy‐based empirical formulation for the determination of the crack growth direction. Two different approaches are introduced that evaluate the crack tip material force within the xFEM based on a domain or contour approach, both providing equivalent results. After an evaluation of the method, a major focus is set on crack growth investigations with increased complexity, including mixed mode loading and crack interaction with other discontinuities. The influence of different evaluation parameters is studied by comparing the results with empirical, experimental and alternative numerical solutions and confirms the applicability and capability of the proposed combination of both concepts. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The improvement of crack propagation modelling in triangular 2D structures using the extended finite element method

In this paper, a novel geometric method combined with the piecewise linear function method is introduced into the extended finite element method (XFEM) to determine the crack tip element and crack surface element. Then, by combining with the advanced mesh technique, a novel method is proposed to improve the modelling of crack propagation in triangular 2D structure with the XFEM. The numerical tests show that the accuracy, the convergence, and the stability of the XFEM can be improved using the proposed method. Moreover, the applicability of the conventional multiple enrichment scheme is discussed. Compared with the proposed method, the conventional multiple enrichment scheme has deficiency in mixed mode I and II crack. Finally, a comparative study shows that the performance of the XFEM by using the proposed method to model the crack propagation can be greatly improved.     

The extended finite element method for fracture in composite materials

Methods for treating fracture in composite material by the extended finite element method with meshes that are independent of matrix/fiber interfaces and crack morphology are described. All discontinuities and near‐tip enrichments are modeled using the framework of local partition of unity. Level sets are used to describe the geometry of the interfaces and cracks so that no explicit representation of either the cracks or the material interfaces are needed. Both full 12 function enrichments and approximate enrichments for bimaterial crack tips are employed. A technique to correct the approximation in blending elements is used to improve the accuracy. Several numerical results for both two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional examples illustrate the versatility of the technique. The results clearly demonstrate that interface enrichment is sufficient to model the correct mechanics of an interface crack. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vector level sets for description of propagating cracks in finite elements

A new level set method is developed for describing surfaces that are frozen behind a moving front, such as cracks. In this formulation, the level set is described in two dimensions by a three‐tuple: the sign of the level set function and the components of the closest point projection to the surface. The update of the level set is constructed by geometric formulas, which are easily implemented. Results are given for growth of lines in two dimensions that show the method is very accurate. The method combines very naturally with the extended finite element method (XFEM) where the discontinuous enrichment for cracks is best described in terms of level set functions. Examples of crack growth simulations obtained by combining this level set method with the extended finite element method are given. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of elastic plastic fatigue crack growth in functionally graded material using the extended finite element method

In the present work, the extended finite element method has been used to simulate the fatigue crack growth problems in functionally graded material in the presence of holes, inclusions, and minor cracks under plastic and plane stress conditions for both edge and center cracks. Both soft and hard inclusions have been implemented in the problems. The validity of linear elastic fracture mechanics theory is limited to the brittle materials. Therefore, the elastic plastic fracture mechanics theory needs to be utilized to characterize the plastic behavior of the material. A generalized Ramberg-Osgood material model has been used for modeling purposes.     

Developing new enrichment functions for crack simulation in orthotropic media by the extended finite element method

New enrichment functions are proposed for crack modelling in orthotropic media using the extended finite element method (XFEM). In this method, Heaviside and near‐tip functions are utilized in the framework of the partition of unity method for modelling discontinuities in the classical finite element method. In this procedure, by using meshless based ideas, elements containing a crack are not required to conform to crack edges. Therefore, mesh generation is directly performed ignoring the existence of any crack while the method remains capable of extending the crack without any remeshing requirement. Furthermore, the type of elements around the crack‐tip remains the same as other parts of the finite element model and the number of nodes and consequently degrees of freedom are reduced considerably in comparison to the classical finite element method. Mixed‐mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) are evaluated to determine the fracture properties of domain and to compare the proposed approach with other available methods. In this paper, the interaction integral (M‐integral) is adopted, which is considered as one of the most accurate numerical methods for calculating stress intensity factors. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite deformation formulation for embedded frictional crack with the extended finite element method

We reformulate an extended finite element (FE) framework for embedded frictional cracks in elastoplastic solids to accommodate finite deformation, including finite stretching and rotation. For the FE representation, we consider a Galerkin approximation in which both the trial and weighting functions adapt to the current contact configuration. Contact and frictional constraints employ two Kuhn–Tucker conditions, a contact/separation constraint nesting over a stick/slip constraint for the case when the crack faces are in frictional sliding mode. We integrate finite deformation bulk plasticity into the formulation using the multiplicative decomposition technique of nonlinear continuum mechanics. We then present plane strain simulations demonstrating various aspects of the extended FE solutions. The mechanisms considered include combined opening and frictional sliding in initially straight, curved, and S‐shaped cracks, with and without bulk plasticity. To gain further insight into the extended FE solutions, we perform mesh convergence studies focusing on both the global and the local responses of structures with cracks, including the distribution of the normal component of traction on the crack faces. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling cohesive crack growth using a two-step finite element-scaled boundary finite element coupled method

A two-step method, coupling the finite element method (FEM) and the scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM), is developed in this paper for modelling cohesive crack growth in quasi-brittle normal-sized structures such as concrete beams. In the first step, the crack trajectory is fully automatically predicted by a recently-developed simple remeshing procedure using the SBFEM based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics theory. In the second step, interfacial finite elements with tension-softening constitutive laws are inserted into the crack path to model gradual energy dissipation in the fracture process zone, while the elastic bulk material is modelled by the SBFEM. The resultant nonlinear equation system is solved by a local arc-length controlled solver. Two concrete beams subjected to mode-I and mixed-mode fracture respectively are modelled to validate the proposed method. The numerical results demonstrate that this two-step SBFEM-FEM coupled method can predict both satisfactory crack trajectories and accurate load-displacement relations with a small number of degrees of freedom, even for crack growth problems with strong snap-back phenomenon. The effects of the tensile strength, the mode-I and mode-II fracture energies on the predicted load-displacement relations are also discussed.     

A coupled molecular dynamics and extended finite element method for dynamic crack propagation

A multiscale method is presented which couples a molecular dynamics approach for describing fracture at the crack tip with an extended finite element method for discretizing the remainder of the domain. After recalling the basic equations of molecular dynamics and continuum mechanics, the discretization is discussed for the continuum subdomain where the partition‐of‐unity property of finite element shape functions is used, since in this fashion the crack in the wake of its tip is naturally modelled as a traction‐free discontinuity. Next, the zonal coupling method between the atomistic and continuum models is recapitulated. Finally, it is discussed how the stress has been computed in the atomic subdomain, and a two‐dimensional computation is presented of dynamic fracture using the coupled model. The result shows multiple branching, which is reminiscent of recent results from simulations on dynamic fracture using cohesive‐zone models. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An extended finite element method with analytical enrichment for cohesive crack modeling

A recent approach to fracture modeling has combined the extended finite element method (XFEM) with cohesive zone models. Most studies have used simplified enrichment functions to represent the strong discontinuity but have lacked an analytical basis to represent the displacement gradients in the vicinity of the cohesive crack. In this study enrichment functions based upon an existing analytical investigation of the cohesive crack problem are proposed. These functions have the potential of representing displacement gradients in the vicinity of the cohesive crack and allow the crack to incrementally advance across each element. Key aspects of the corresponding numerical formulation and enrichment functions are discussed. A parameter study for a simple mode I model problem is presented to evaluate if quasi‐static crack propagation can be accurately followed with the proposed formulation. The effects of mesh refinement and mesh orientation are considered. Propagation of the cohesive zone tip and crack tip, time variation of the cohesive zone length, and crack profiles are examined. The analysis results indicate that the analytically based enrichment functions can accurately track the cohesive crack propagation of a mode I crack independent of mesh orientation. A mixed mode example further demonstrates the potential of the formulation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A contact algorithm for cohesive cracks in the extended finite element method

Cracks with quasibrittle behavior are extremely common in engineering structures. The modeling of cohesive cracks involves strong nonlinearity in the contact, material, and complex transition between contact and cohesive forces. In this article, we propose a novel contact algorithm for cohesive cracks in the framework of the extended finite element method. A cohesive-contact constitutive model is introduced to characterize the complex mechanical behavior of the fracture process zone. To avoid the stress oscillations and ill-conditioned system matrix that often occur in the conventional contact approach, the proposed algorithm employs a special dual Lagrange multiplier to impose the contact constraint. This Lagrange multiplier is constructed by means of the area-weighted average and biorthogonality conditions at the element level. The system matrix can be condensed into a positive definite matrix with an unchanged size at a very low computational cost. In addition, we illustrate solving the cohesive crack contact problem using a novel iteration strategy. Several numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the efficiency and high-quality results of our method in contact analysis of cohesive cracks.     

A mixed augmented Lagrangian-extended finite element method for modelling elastic–plastic fatigue crack growth with unilateral contact

The complete modelling of fatigue crack growth is still an industrial challenging issue for numerical methods. A new technique for the finite element modelling of elastic–plastic fatigue crack growth with unilateral contact on the crack faces is presented. The extended finite element method (X-FEM) is used to discretize the equations, allowing for the modelling of arbitrary cracks whose geometries are independent of the finite element mesh. This paper presents an augmented Lagrangian formulation in the X-FEM framework that is able to deal with elastic–plastic crack growth with treatment of contact. An original formulation, which takes advantages of two powerful numerical methods, is presented. Next the numerical issues such as contact treatment and numerical integration are addressed, and finally numerical examples are shown to validate the method. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An extended/generalized phase-field finite element method for crack growth with global-local enrichment

An extended/generalized finite element method (XFEM/GFEM) for simulating quasistatic crack growth based on a phase-field method is presented. The method relies on approximations to solutions associated with two different scales: a global scale, that is, structural and discretized with a coarse mesh, and a local scale encapsulating the fractured region, that is, discretized with a fine mesh. A stable XFEM/GFEM is employed to embed the displacement and damage fields at the global scale. The proposed method accommodates approximation spaces that evolve between load steps, while preserving a fixed background mesh for the structural problem. In addition, a prediction-correction algorithm is employed to facilitate the dynamic evolution of the confined crack regions within a load step. Several numerical examples of benchmark problems in two- and three-dimensional quasistatic fracture are provided to demonstrate the approach.     

High‐order extended finite element method for cracked domains

The aim of the paper is to study the capabilities of the extended finite element method (XFEM) to achieve accurate computations in non‐smooth situations such as crack problems. Although the XFEM method ensures a weaker error than classical finite element methods, the rate of convergence is not improved when the mesh parameter h is going to zero because of the presence of a singularity. The difficulty can be overcome by modifying the enrichment of the finite element basis with the asymptotic crack tip displacement solutions as well as with the Heaviside function. Numerical simulations show that the modified XFEM method achieves an optimal rate of convergence (i.e. like in a standard finite element method for a smooth problem). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parametric enrichment adaptivity by the extended finite element method

An adaptive method within the extended finite element method (XFEM) framework which adapts the enrichment function locally to the physics of a problem, as opposed to polynomial or mesh refinement, is presented. The method minimizes a local residual and determines the parameters of the enrichment function. We consider an energy form and a ‘strong’ form of the residual as error measures to drive the algorithm. Numerical examples for boundary layers and solid mechanics problems illustrate that the procedure converges. Moreover, when only the character of the solution is known, a good approximation is obtained in the area of interest. It is also shown that the method can be used to determine the order of singularities in solutions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.