LAUSR

Small-scale structures with limited defect inclusions are known to differ in their fracture behavior compared to their bulk counterparts. In addition, materials at confined volumes behave differently, which is a concept exploited in multilayered thin films and nanoarchitectures. In this article, concepts of small-scale fracture behavior of different materials in their single crystalline versus interface-dominated states (nanocrystalline, nanoarchitected lattices, multilayered thin films, and coatings) using appropriate testing methods are reviewed. These measurements have been enabled due to relevant advances in the evaluation of fracture behavior of materials at small length scales, as essential components for assessment of structural integrity and mechanical reliability of the increasingly miniaturized devices. Emerging trends in quantifiable fracture parameters of small-scale structures are juxtaposed to the recent understanding gained regarding their failure mechanisms. Graphical abstract