Dr. Douglas Smith
Nanomechanical Properties

Current Research Interests:

• Measurement of thin film mechanical properties and adhesion, primarily using instrumented (nano-) indentation.
• Development of standard test methods and reference materials for instrumented indentation.
• Development of force transducers and force calibration methods for forces in the nanonewton to millinewton force range.
• Use of instrumented indentation to study the mechanical properties of heterogeneous, composite or functionally graded materials.

Prior Research Activities:

• Measurements of contact electrification and surface charge density in the Surface Force Apparatus.
• Measurement of surface forces and adhesion between silica and silane-modified silica surfaces.

Biographical Information:

• Education

1988: PhD., Physics, University of Massachusetts

1983: B.S., Physics, Pennsylvania State University

• Employment History

1991-present: Physicist, Ceramics Division, NIST

1988-91: Postdoctoral Researcher, Ceramics Division, NIST

Selected Publications:

• "Vortex Pinning in Microindented YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x Single Crystals", M. Turchinskaya, D.T. Smith, A.L. Roytburd and D.L. Kaiser, J. Applied Phys. 88[3] (2000).
• "Indentation Modulus and Hardness of Whisker-Reinforced Heat-Cured Dental Resin Composites", H.H.K. Xu, D.T. Smith, G.E. Schumacher, F.C. Eichmiller and J.M. Antonucci, Dental Materials 16 (2000) 248-254.
• "Mechanical Properties of SiO₂ and Si₃N₄ Coatings: A BAM/NIST Cooperative Project", U. Beck, D.T. Smith, G. Reiners and S.J. Dapkunas, Thin Solid Films 332 (1998) 164-171.
• "Hardness, Elastic Modulus and Structure of Indium Nitride Thin Films on AlN-Nucleated Sapphire Substrates", J.H. Edgar, C.H. Wei, D.T. Smith, T.J. Kistenmacher and W.A. Bryden, J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. in Electr. 8 (1997) 307-312.
• "Conference Proceedings: International Workshop on Instrumented Indentation", Ed. D.T. Smith, NIST Special Publication 896 (1996).
• "Influence of Microstructure on Indentation and Machining of Dental Glass-Ceramics", H.H.K. Xu, D.T. Smith and S. Jahanmir, J. Mater. Res. 11[9] (1996) 2325-2337.
• "Quantifying Local Microcrack Density in Ceramics: A Comparison of Instrumented Indentation and Thermal Wave Techniques", D.T. Smith and L. Wei, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 78 [5] (1995) 1301-1304.
• "Contact Electrification Induced by Monolayer Modification of a Surface and Relation to Acid-Base Interactions", R.G. Horn, D.T. Smith and A. Grabbe, Nature 366 (1993) 442-443.
• "Contact Electrification and Adhesion Between Dissimilar Materials", R.G. Horn and D.T. Smith, Science 256 (1992) 362-364.
• "Fracture and Contact Adhesion Energies of Mica-Mica, Silica-Silica, and Mica-Silica Interfaces in Dry and Moist Atmospheres", K.-T. Wan, D.T. Smith and B.R. Lawn, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 75[3] (1992) 667-676.
• "Measuring Contact Charge Transfer at Interfaces: A New Experimental Technique", D.T. Smith, J. Electrostatics 26 (1991) 291-308.
• "Analytical Solution for the Three-Layer Multiple Beam Interferometer", R.G. Horn and D.T. Smith, Applied Optics 30[1] (1991) 59-65.
• "Surface Forces and Viscosity of Water Measured Between Silica Sheets", R.G. Horn, D.T. Smith and W. Haller, Chem Phys. Lett. 162 [4,5] (1989) 404-408.
• "Third Sound on Substrates Patterned with Periodic and Random Disorder: Evidence for Classical Wave Localization", D.T. Smith, C.P. Lorenson, R.B. Hallock, K.R. McCall and R.A. Guyer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 61[11] (1988) 1286-1289.
• "Third Sound Propagation in ⁴He Films Adsorbed on Silicon", D.T. Smith and R.B. Hallock, Phys. Rev. B 34 [1] (1986) 226-232.
• "Third Sound in ⁴He Adsorbed on Nuclepore", J.M. Valles, Jr., D.T. Smith and R.B. Hallock, Phys. Rev Lett. 54 [14] (1985) 1528-1531.

Patents

• Patent number 5,368,942. Smith et al., Method of Adhering Substrates. Awarded Nov. 29, 1994.

Awards

• Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award, 1990 (with Roger Horn). For the development of techniques to enable the use of silica surfaces in the Surface Force Apparatus.