RESEARCH / 2026 / 2027

Before the surface gives way.

Reading the hidden mechanics of a stiff film on a soft substrate — from indentation to the onset of penetration.

ROLE

First author

Conceptual geometry, not a numerical simulation. Click, tap, or press Enter to apply a local load. Drag to move it; on touchscreens drag horizontally. Arrow keys move the load. Escape resets it. Vertical touch gestures scroll the page.

AN EXPLORABLE CONCEPTUAL FORMORIGINAL GEOMETRY · NOT SIMULATION DATA

01 / THE QUESTION

What can a surface tell us about what lies beneath?

In layered soft materials, a thin stiff film and a compliant substrate deform together. Their hidden properties influence the force needed to enter the surface.

02 / THE APPROACH

Indent first. Understand the structure.

Scaling analysis, nonlinear finite-element simulations, and model experiments connect the indentation response to distinct mechanical regimes and the properties of the layered structure.

03 / THE CONNECTION

From deformation to a boundary for insertion.

The inferred structure is connected to a film-stress criterion for rupture initiation. Comparing penetration force with Euler buckling gives a mechanically stable lower size bound for a slender probe.

04 / PUBLICATION

The full story,
on the record.

Deep indentation and penetration of stiff thin film on soft substrate ↗

Xingyu Zhou, Wei Jian, Yingchao Zhang, Xue Feng.

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 218 (2027), 106826.

First published online 2026-09-01.

First author · Methodology, formal analysis, investigation, validation, data curation, and manuscript drafting/revision.

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View citation & BibTeX

Xingyu Zhou, Wei Jian, Yingchao Zhang, Xue Feng. (2027). Deep indentation and penetration of stiff thin film on soft substrate. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 218, 106826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2026.106826

@article{zhou-2027-indentation,
  title = {Deep indentation and penetration of stiff thin film on soft substrate},
  author = {Xingyu Zhou and Wei Jian and Yingchao Zhang and Xue Feng},
  journal = {Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids},
  year = {2027},
  volume = {218},
  pages = {106826},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jmps.2026.106826},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2026.106826},
  note = {Available online 2026-09-01}
}

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What can a surface tell us about what lies beneath?

Indent first. Understand the structure.

From deformation to a boundary for insertion.

The full story,on the record.

The full story,
on the record.