Layered materials and thin film coatings are ubiquitous in today’s science, engineering, and technology sectors. To name just a few examples: fibre-reinforced composite laminates in aircraft structures, thermal barrier coatings in aero-engines and power turbines, multilayer Mo/Si mirrors of nanometre thickness in synchrotrons, telescope optics, extreme ultraviolet optical systems, etc. The inherent weak interfaces in these materials are extremely vulnerable to fracture which often causes thin film blisters of various morphologies. The authors of the present work have made some significant research progress on this topic; the book gathers these advancements to provide researchers and engineers with more theoretical tools to study and design such material systems. Furthermore, this book can be used as a textbook in advanced courses for postgraduate students. To suit these purposes, each chapter focuses on a relatively independent topic and consists of both theoretical development and experimental applications. Many figures and numerical tables are used to help readers with mechanical understanding and self-practice.
