Testing of adhesion of thin films to substrates

The results of the measurement of the adhesion strength of thin films or coatings to substrates are often influenced by system parameters that may be influenced by preparation of the specimen for testing or by deposition of the film itself. In this paper, the scratch, pull, and peel tests are analyzed in terms of criteria for film/coating removal and for the effects of system parameters such as film hardness and ductility, film thickness, substrate hardness, etc.