Finite element analysis of thermal stress in Cu2O coating synthesized on Cu substrate

The paper aims to find the magnitude and nature of thermal residual stresses that occur during cooling of a copper sample with a thermally synthesized oxide layer of Cu2O. Thermo-mechanical analysis was performed by the finite element method using Ansys Software. The results of thermal analysis were used to study the resulting stress-strain state of the thin film/coating system after cooling. Based on the modeling results, the paper determined the most stress-strain areas of the sample with a coating, which are the free edges of the interfaces between the copper substrate and the Cu2O oxide layer. The main limitations of the study are the use of certain simplifications in the condition setup, for instance, uniform cooling of the thin film/coating system, homogeneity and isotropy of substrate and thin film materials, invariance of their properties with temperature changes, etc. The results obtained can be used to control the stress-strain state of the thin film/coating system and prevent deformations and destruction of thin-film structures during their production and operation of products with them. The study of new promising methods for the formation of oxide nanostructures, for instance in a plasma environment, requires a sufficient theoretical basis in addressing the origin and development of stresses.