Fracture Nanomechanics

Dr. Takayuki Kitamura, a professor at Kyoto University, Japan, since 1998, was with the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Japan (1979–1984), and an invited researcher at NASA (1987–1988). In 2007 he became the vice president of Kyoto University. From 2008 to 2014 he was a member of the Science Council of Japan and since 2014 is the president of the Society of Materials Science, Japan. His research interests include nanomaterial strength, multiphysics properties of nanomaterials, fracture nanomechanics on slow crack growth, and high-temperature strength of heat-resisting materials. He has won numerous awards from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Materials Science and has published around 300 papers.Dr. Takashi Sumigawa, an associate professor at Kyoto University since 2011, was a researcher at the Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd. (2002–2005); a research associate at the Department of Intelligent Machinery and Systems, Kyushu University (2005); a research fellow at the Centers of Excellence, Department of Material Engineering and Science, Kyoto University (2006–2007); and a lecturer at Kyoto University (2007–2010). He won the JSME Young Engineers Award in 2005 and the JSME Medal for Outstanding Paper in 2011. His research interests are in nanomaterial strength and fatigue behavior.Dr. Hiroyuki Hirakata is an associate professor at Osaka University, Japan, since 2007. From 2003 to 2007, he was a research associate at Kyoto University. He won the JSME Medal for Outstanding Paper in 2004, the JSMS Award for Scientific Papers in 2007, and the JSMS Award for Promising Researchers in 2010. His research interests are in the strength and fracture mechanics of nano-/micromaterials.Dr. Takahiro Shimada is an assistant professor at Kyoto University since 2008. He won the JSME Medal for Outstanding Paper in 2012, the JSME Young Engineers Award in 2013, and the Young Scientists’ Prize (Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education) in 2014. His research interests are in the strength and multiphysics properties of nanostructures.

• 1 Introduction, 2 Fundamentals in Fracture Mechanics, 3 Elastoplastic Deformation of Thin Films, 4 Fracture of Thin Films, 5 Growth of Interface Crack, 6 Initiation of Interface Cracks, 7 Components Consisting of Nano-Elements, 8 Strength of Atomic Components, 9 Fracture Mechanics in Atomic Components

"This book makes an important and timely contribution to the field of fracture mechanics at the nanometer scale through a coherent description of the subject that combines theory, experiment, and atomistic simulation. A large number of vivid figures and a comprehensive list of references make the book easy to read and to follow, which would benefit both students and researchers greatly."—Prof. Tong-Yi Zhang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong"The fracture mechanism at the nano-scale is quite different from that at the macro-scale, but it is not well understood yet. This book covers the authors’ recent outstanding works and the representative advances in the world of fracture nanomechanics. Therefore, it surely will be a very valuable book for researchers in this field."—Prof. J. Q. Xu, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China"This monograph provides a new insight into fracture mechanics for nano/micro-scale components in various electronic devices or mechanical systems. Among others, it is noteworthy that the book features new challenges in the evaluation of fracture toughness of various tiny structures."—Prof. Seyoung Im, KAIST, Korea"This book provides a great number of instructive examples on how to address the deformation and fracture issues of nano-components, based on continuum mechanics. A very special monograph on the fracture mechanics of nano-size materials and atomic components using both experimental tests and numerical simulation, written by several researchers of the leading exponents in this newly developed field, this book offers many successful attempts and results in nano-mechanics, as well as many unsolved challenges and clues for future investigation."—Prof. Fulin Shang, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China"This unique book offers the perspectives of the fracture behavior of nano- and atomic elements such as electronic and optic devices and MEMS/NEMS. Both continuum mechanics and atomic mechanics have been extensively presented with the authors’ new findings. This book serves as an excellent reference for scientists and engineers in the fields."—Prof. Kikuo Kishimoto, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan"This excellent book summarizes recent results and contemporary methods regarding deformation and mechanical properties of materials at the nano- and atomic scale. It is written concisely and comprehensibly with a lot of carefully chosen illustrations and presents the current status of the research work in this rapidly developing field. The book may be highly recommended to anyone wishing to get a broad overview of application of classical fracture mechanics at the nanoscale and of recent advances in the investigations of fracture behavior in atomic dimensions."—Prof. Mojmir Sob, Masaryk University, Czech Republic"A unique book dealing with strength and fracture of nanomaterials and atomic components! I found it very useful in my teaching of the master course Nanomechanics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)."—Prof. Zhiliang Zhang, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway