Stress induced void formation in Cu interconnects, due to thermal stresses generated during the processing of semiconductors, is an increasing reliability issue in the semiconductor industry as Cu interconnects are being downscaled to follow the demand for faster chip speed. In this work, 1.8 micron and 180 nm wide Cu interconnects, fabricated by Freescale Semiconductors, were subjected to thermal cycles, in-situ in the TEM, to investigate the stress relaxation mechanisms as a function of interconnect linewidth. The experiments show that the 1.8 micron Cu interconnect lines relax the thermal stresses through dislocation nucleation and motion while the Cu interconnect 180 nm lines exhibit void formation. Void formation in 180 nm lines occurs predominantly at triple junctions where the Ta diffusion barrier meets a Cu grain boundary. In order to understand void formation in 180 nm lines, the grain orientation and local stresses are determined. In particular, Nanobeam Diffraction (NBD) in the TEM is used to obtain the diffraction pattern of each grain, from which the crystal orientation is evaluated by the ACT (Automated Crystallography for TEM) software. In addition, 2D Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations are performed using the Object Oriented Finite Modeling (OOF2) software to correlate grain orientation with local stresses, and consequently void formation. According to the experimental and simulation results obtained, void formation in 180nm Cu interconnects does not seem to be solely dependent on local stresses, but a combination of diffusion paths available, stress gradients and possibly the presence of defects. In addition, based on the in-situ TEM observations, void growth seems to occur through grain boundary and/or interfacial diffusion. However, in-situ STEM observations of fully opened voids post-failure show pileup of material at the Cu grain surfaces. This means that surface or interface diffusion is also very active during void growth in the presence of thermal stresses.

No description available.

This dissertation investigates the role of thermomechanical processes in the production of regolith on airless body surfaces. Thermally induced breakdown may provide a significant contribution to their surface evolution, by breaking down rocks and degrading craters. In Chapter 1, we use the traditional terrestrial methodology of evaluating the efficacy of this process by modeling the rate of surface temperature change (dT/dt) on various airless surfaces, using a damage threshold of 2 K/min. We find that the magnitude of dT/dt values is primarily controlled by sunrise/set durations on quickly rotating bodies, such as Vesta, and by distance to the sun on slowly rotating bodies, such as Mercury. The strongest rates of temperature change occur on slopes normal to the sun when a sunrise or sunset occurs, either naturally or because of daytime shadowing. We find, however, that high dT/dt values are not always correlated with high temperature gradients within the surface. This adds to the ambiguity of the poorly understood damage threshold, emphasizes the need further research on this topic that goes beyond the simple 2 K/min criterion. We further investigate this shortcoming in the terrestrial literature in Chapter two by modeling stresses induced by diurnal temperature variations at the mineral grain scale on these bodies. We find that the resulting stresses are controlled by mismatches in material properties between adjacent mineral grains. Peak stresses (on the order of 100s of MPa) are controlled by the coefficient of thermal expansion and Young's modulus of the mineral constituents, and the average stress within the microstructure is determined by relative volume of each mineral. Amplification of stresses occurs at surface-parallel boundaries between adjacent mineral grains and at the tips of pore spaces. We also find that microscopic spatial and temporal surface temperature gradients do not correlate with high stresses, making them inappropriate proxies for investigating microcrack propagation. Although these results provide strong evidence for the significance of thermomechanical processes, more work is needed to quantify crack propagation and rock breakdown rates in order to understand their overall contribution to surface evolution on these bodies. In Chapter 4, we investigate macroscopic scale effects on thermally induced stress fields in boulders of varying sizes and find that macroscopic thermal gradients may play a role in crack propagation within boulder interiors.

Thermoelectric materials are playing an increasingly significant role in the global effort to develop sustainable energy technologies. Consequently, the demand for materials with greater thermoelectric efficiency has stimulated the development of state-of-the-art interstitially doped skutterudite-based materials. However, since intermetallics are often embrittled by interstitial substitution, optimal skutterudite-based device design, manufacture, and operation require thorough assessment of the fracture toughness of interstitially doped skutterudites. This research determines whether the fracture toughness of skutterudites is sacrificed upon interstitial doping. Both pure and interstitially doped cobalt antimonide skutterudites were synthesized via a solid-state technique in a reducing atmosphere with antimony vapor. Their crystal structures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and then sintered by hot uniaxial pressing into dense pellets. The electronic properties of the sintered samples were characterized. Fracture toughness of the pure Co₄Sb₁₂ and interstitially doped In₀.₁Co₄Sb₁₂ samples was evaluated by the Vicker's indentation technique and by loading beam-shaped singe-edge vee-notched bend specimens (SEVNB) in 4-point flexure. The intrinsic crack-tip toughness of both materials was determined by measuring the crack-tip opening displacements (COD's) of radial cracks introduced from Vicker's indentations. The intrinsic crack-tip toughness of both pure Co₄Sb₁₂ and interstitially doped In₀.₁Co₄Sb₁₂ were found to be similar, 0.523 and 0.494 MPa√m, respectively. The fracture toughness of both pure and interstitially doped skutterudites, derived from SEVNB specimens in 4-point flexure were also found to be statistically identical, 0.509 and 0.574 MPa√m , respectively, and are in agreement with the intrinsic crack-tip toughness values. However, the magnitude of the toughness was found to be much lower than previously reported. Moreover, fracture toughness values derived from Vickers's indentations were found to be misleading when compared to the results obtained from fracture toughness tests carried out on the micronotched (SEVNB) specimens loaded in 4-point flexure. / Graduation date: 2012

Lorsqu’une pièce mécanique est soumise à une sollicitation mécanique répétée dans le temps, elle risque de s’endommager après un certain nombre de cycles d’utilisation par amorçage de plusieurs fissures et propagation d’une fissure principale. C’est le phénomène d’endommagement par fatigue. La thèse traite plus particulièrement du possible endommagement de certains composants de centrales nucléaires par fatigue thermique. Contrairement à l’endommagement classique en fatigue mécanique où une fissure principale vient rompre la pièce, l’endommagement par fatigue thermique se traduit généralement par l’apparition d’un réseau de fissures surfaciques. Deux aspects sont traités dans la thèse. Le premier est l’étude expérimentale de la phase de fissuration multiple ou multifissuration en fatigue. Pour cela deux campagnes d’essais avec détection de la multifissuration par corrélation d’images numériques ont été menées. Ces campagnes concernent des chargements mécaniques uniaxiaux et équibiaxiaux de traction/compression sans contrainte moyenne. Ce travail a permis de suivre et d’observer l’évolution de différents réseaux de fissures à travers des sollicitations de type mécanique. Le second est la simulation numérique du phénomène d’endommagement en fatigue mécanique et thermique. Plusieurs types de modélisation sont utilisés (stochastique, probabiliste, éléments finis cohésifs). Les résultats expérimentaux ont permis d’identifier une loi d’amorçage multiple en fatigue et sont également confrontés aux résultats numériques. Cette confrontation permet notamment de montrer la pertinence de l’utilisation d’un modèle probabiliste analytique afin de retrouver des résultats statistiques sur la densité de fissures qui peuvent être amorcées en fatigue thermique et mécanique. / When a mechanical part is subjected to a repeated mechanical stress, it may be damaged after a number of cycles by several crack initiations and the propagation of a main crack. This is the phenomenon of fatigue damage. The thesis specifically deals with possible damage in some components of nuclear plants due to thermal fatigue. Unlike conventional mechanical fatigue damage where a main crack develops in the part, thermal fatigue damage usually results in the appearance of a network of cracks on its surface. Two aspects are discussed in the thesis. The first is the experimental study of fatigue multiple cracking stage. Two mechanical test campaigns with multicracking detection by digital image correlation were conducted. They involve uniaxial and equibiaxial mechanical loads in tension/compression with no mean stress. This work allows the evolution of different networks of cracks to be monitored and quantified through mechanical loadings. The second is the numerical simulation of the phenomenon of fatigue damage. Three types of models are used (i.e., stochastic, probabilistic, and cohesive elements). The experimental results have led to the identification of a multiple crack initiation law in fatigue, which is compared with the numerical results. This comparison shows the relevance of the use of an analytical probabilistic model to obtain statistical results on the density of cracks that can be initiated with thermal and mechanical fatigue loadings.

Lors du fonctionnement des packages électroniques, ceux ci sont exposés à diverses sollicitations d'ordres thermiques et mécaniques. De même, la combinaison de ces sources de contraintes constitue l'origine de la quasi majorité des défaillances des packages électroniques. Pour s'assurer de la bonne résistance des packages électroniques, les fabricants pratiquent des tests de fiabilité et des analyses de défaillance avant toute commercialisation. Toutefois, les essais expérimentaux, lors de la phase de conception et de l'élaboration des prototypes, s'avèrent contraignants en termes de temps et de ressources matérielles. En revanche, la simulation numérique à l'aide de la méthode des éléments finis constitue une option alternative en termes de temps et de ressources. Les objectifs dévolus aux travaux de recherche visent à élaborer quatre modèles éléments finis en 3D, validés/calibrés par des essais expérimentaux, intégrant les recommandations JEDEC (1) en vue de : - Procéder à la caractérisation thermique et thermomécanique des packages électroniques ; - Et prédire la durée de vie en fatigue thermique des joints de brasures et ce, en lieu et place de la caractérisation expérimentale normalisée. Or, la mise en œuvre des modèles éléments finis présente certains inconvénients liés aux incertitudes au niveau de la géométrie, des propriétés matériaux, les conditions aux limites ou les charges. Ceux ci ont une influence sur le comportement thermique et thermomécanique des systèmes électroniques. D'où la nécessité de formuler le problème en termes probabilistes et ce, dans le but de mener une étude de fiabilité et d’optimisation des packages électroniques. Pour remédier au temps de calcul énorme généré par les méthodes d’analyse de fiabilité classiques, nous avons développé des méthodologies spécifiques à cette problématique, via des méthodes d’approximation basées sur le krigeage avancé,qui nous ont permis de bâtir un modèle de substitution, qui rallie efficacité et précision. Par conséquent, une analyse de fiabilité a été menée avec exactitude et dans un temps extrêmement court, via les méthodes de simulation Monte Carlo et FORM/SORM, couplées avec le modèle de krigeage avancé. Ensuite, l’analyse de fiabilité a été associée dans le processus d’optimisation, en vue d’améliorer la performance et la fiabilité de la conception structurelle des packages électroniques. A la fin, nous avons procédé à l’applicabilité des dites méthodologies d’analyse de fiabilité aux quatre modèles éléments finis ainsi développés. Il résulte que les analyses de fiabilité menées se sont avérées très utiles pour prédire les effets des incertitudes liées aux propriétés matériaux. De même, l’analyse d’optimisation de fiabilité ainsi réalisée nous a permis d’améliorer la performance et la fiabilité de la conception structurelle des packages électroniques. (1) JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) est un organisme de normalisation des semi-conducteurs. / During operation, electronic packages are exposed to various thermal and mechanical solicitations. These solicitations combined are the source for most of electronic package failures. To ensure electronic packages robustness, manufacturers perform reliability testing and failure analysis prior to any commercialization. However, experimental tests, during design phase and prototypes development, are known to be constraining in terms of time and material resources. This research aims to develop four finite element models in 3D, validated/calibrated by experimental tests, integrating JEDEC recommendations to : - Perform electronic packages thermal and thermomechanical characterization ; - Predict the thermal fatigue life of solder joints in place of the standardized experimental characterization.However, implementation of the finite element model has some disadvantages related to uncertainties at the geometry, material properties, boundary conditions or loads. These uncertainties influence thermal and electronic systems thermomechanical behavior. Hence the need to formulate the problem in probabilistic terms, in order to conduct a reliability study and a electronic packages reliability based design optimization.To remedy the enormous computation time generated by classical reliability analysis methods, we developed methodologies specific to this problem, using approximation methods based on advanced kriging, which allowed us to build a substitution model, combining efficiency and precision. Therefore reliability analysis can be performed accurately and in a very short time with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and FORM / SORM methods coupled with the advanced model of kriging. Reliability analysis was associated in the optimization process, to improve the performance and electronic packages structural design reliability. In the end, we applied the reliability analysis methodologies to the four finite element models developed. As a result, reliability analysis proved to be very useful in predicting uncertainties effects related to material properties. Similarly, reliability optimization analysis performed out has enabled us to improve the electronic packages structural design performance and reliability. In the end, we applied the reliability analysis methodologies to the four finite element models developed. As a result, reliability analysis proved to be very useful in predicting uncertainties effects related to material properties. Similarly, reliability optimization analysis performed out has enabled us to improve the electronic packages structural design performance and reliability.

Estudaram-se os efeitos da fração volumétrica de carboneto eutético e da dureza da matriz sobre a resistência à fadiga térmica de ferros fundidos brancos multicomponentes. Utilizaram-se ligas do sistema Fe-4Cr-V-2Mo-2W-2C, V variando entre 5 e 8% e Fe-4Cr-8V-Mo-2W-2C, Mo variando entre 2 e 5%. Corpos-de-prova com a geometria de discos com seção variável foram temperados e revenidos para obtenção de dois valores de microdureza da matriz: 450 HV e 650 HV. Conduziram-se ensaios de fadiga térmica por 100 e 500 ciclos. Cada ciclo envolveu aquecimento por indução da superfície até a temperatura de 600°C em 10 segundos e subseqüente resfriamento em água por 45 segundos (equalização das temperaturas do núcleo e da superfície). Os corpos-de-prova foram caracterizados antes e após os ensaios de fadiga térmica. Antes dos ensaios, caracterizaram-se os carbonetos eutéticos (tipos, morfologia, fração volumétrica, tamanho, forma e distribuição dos carbonetos) e a microdureza da matriz. Após os ensaios, caracterizaram-se as trincas de fadiga térmica macroscópicas e microscópicas (número e profundidade) e a microdureza da matriz. A nucleação de trincas de fadiga térmica ocorre predominantemente na superfície do corpo-de-prova, induzidas por concentradores de tensão mecânicos e metalúrgicos. As trincas nucleiam na matriz (a rugosidade age como concentrador de tensão mecânico) e em carbonetos (interface carboneto/matriz ou no próprio carboneto). A taxa de nucleação sofre influência da fração volumétrica de carboneto eutético (seu aumento promove aumento da taxa de nucleação) e da dureza da matriz (seu aumento promove diminuição da taxa de nucleação). A propagação de trincas ocorre predominantemente pela interface carboneto/matriz ou através do carboneto. A taxa de propagação sofre influência da distribuição de carboneto eutético. Quanto maior a relação “continuidade de carbonetos/distância livre média entre carbonetos", maior a taxa de propagação de trincas. A taxa de propagação de trinca diminui com o aumento do tempo de ensaio, independentemente da fração volumétrica de carboneto eutético e da dureza da matriz. O regime de propagação durante os primeiros 100 ciclos é caracterizado pela propagação instável da trinca controlada pela tenacidade à fratura do material; de 100 a 500 ciclos, a propagação é controlada pela magnitude da tensão. O tamanho do corpo-de-prova também influenciou os resultados dos ensaios: o aumento do tamanho promove aumento das taxas de nucleação e propagação. Este resultado é atribuído ao aumento do gradiente térmico ao longo do corpo-de-prova com o aumento do seu diâmetro. / The effects of the volume fraction of eutectic carbides and of the matrix hardness on the thermal fatigue resistance of multicomponent white cast iron were investigated. Alloys Fe-4Cr-V-2Mo-2W-2C, V ranging from 5 to 8 wt% and Fe-4Cr-8V-Mo-2W-2C, Mo ranging from 2 to 5 wt % were used. Disc shaped samples were quench and tempered for obtaining two matrix microhardness levels: 450 HV and 650 HV. Thermal fatigue tests were carried out for 100 and 500 cycles. Each cycle involved high frequency induction heating of the surface to 600°C and subsequent cooling in water during 45 seconds (equalization of the bulk and surface temperature). The test specimens were characterized before and after the thermal fatigue tests. Before the tests, eutectic carbide (type, morphology, volume fraction, syze, shape and distribution of carbides) and matrix microhardness were characterized. After the tests, the macroscopic and microscopic thermal fatigue cracks (number and depth) and matrix microhardness were characterized. The nucleation of the thermal fatigue cracks takes place mostly at the specimen surface, induced by mechanical and metallurgical stress risers. The crack nucleates at the matrix (roughness as mechanical stress risers as well as at carbides (at the carbide/matrix interface or at the carbide itself). The nucleation rate is influenced by the volume fraction of eutectic carbide (the higher the volume fraction, the higher the nucleation rate) and by the matrix microhardness (the higher the microhardness, the lower the nucleation rate). The crack propagation mostly takes place at the carbide/matrix interface or through the carbide. The propagation rate is affected by the carbide distribution. The higher the “carbide continuity/carbide free path" ratio, the higher the propagation rate. The propagation rate decreases with increasing test time, regardless the eutectic carbide volume fraction and the matrix microhardness. The propagation behaviour during the first 100 cycles is characterized by instable crack propagation controlled by the fracture toughness of the material; from 100 to 500 cycles, the propagation is controlled by the stress magnitude. The syze of the test specimen also influenced the tests results: the larger the specimen syze, the higher the nucleation and propagation rates. This is attributed to the effect of increasing thermal gradient across the specimen with increasing specimen diameter.

Embora a literatura disponível sobre conformação mecânica disponha de grande número de trabalhos relacionados à fadiga térmica em cilindros de laminação a quente, poucos autores abordam como esse tipo de dano é influenciado por algumas características do processo - em especial a oxidação na superfície de trabalho dos cilindros, tanto enquanto formação de uma camada de óxido uniforme sobre essa superfície quanto na forma de corrosão. Essa lacuna ocorre a despeito do volume de referências que relacionam a oxidação à fadiga térmica em escala laboratorial. O presente trabalho busca relacionar ambas as linhas de investigação, utilizando métodos analíticos e numéricos comparados com experimentos em diferentes escalas, para compreender sob quais condições são formados os óxidos presentes nos cilindros, qual seu comportamento mecânico no decorrer dos ciclos de laminação e como os óxidos influenciam na ocorrência de trincas de laminação a quente. A análise da superfície de trabalho de um cilindro em escala piloto revela a presença de trincas térmicas na superfície de trabalho. Os padrões de defeitos obtidos se mostram de acordo com o exposto em diversas referências publicadas sobre ensaios de fadiga térmica e termomecânica, em relação à presença e distribuição de óxidos no interior das trincas e na superfície externa das amostras. Em paralelo, foram desenvolvidos modelos numéricos do processo de laminação a quente, inicialmente em escala macroscópica, para obter detalhes sobre distribuições de temperatura, tensões e deformações nos cilindros, de difícil obtenção experimental. Estes modelos foram simulados e seus resultados comparados com valores medidos no laminador piloto, validando seu uso para avaliação do comportamento dos cilindros durante uma série de campanhas de laminação. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o mecanismo de fadiga de baixo ciclo normalmente associado ao dano térmico não é suficiente para explicar a nucleação das trincas de fadiga térmica observadas no experimento. O erro na predição pela teoria de fadiga de baixo ciclo tradicional, em conjunto com a caracterização dos cilindros em escala piloto e com observações de cilindros em escala industrial presentes na literatura, permite levantar a hipótese de que os fenômenos de oxidação e corrosão em curso durante o processo de laminação contribuem para uma redução significativa da resistência dos cilindros à fadiga termomecânica. Cálculos analíticos e simulações adicionais em escala microscópica foram realizados, incluindo os efeitos da oxidação e da corrosão, confirmando a hipótese e oferecendo uma linha de investigação mais assertiva para a nucleação e evolução do dano nos cilindros. / Although the literature on metal forming presents a considerable amount of references related to thermal fatigue in hot rolling, only few authors discuss how this type of damage is influenced by some characteristics of the rolling process - specially the oxidation that develops at the surface of the rolls. This gap occurs despite the amount of references relating oxidation to thermal fatigue in laboratory scale. The current work aims to relate both investigation paths, employing analytical and numerical methods in comparison with experiments in different scales, to provide understanding about the conditions at which the oxides observed upon the rolls are formed, their mechanical behaviour during the rolling process and how they influence thermal fatigue cracking in the rolls. The analysis of the roll surface in a pilot scale mill reveals the presence of thermal fatigue cracks on the work surface. The patterns of defects observed are in accordance with several references on thermal and thermomechanical fatigue, regarding the presence and distribution of oxides inside the cracks and at the external surface of the samples. In parallel, numerical models of hot rolling were developed, initially at macroscopic scale, to obtain details on temperature, stress and strain distribution in the rolls, which are difficult to obtain experimentally. These models were simulated and their results were compared with values measured in the pilot scale mill, validating their use to evaluate the behaviour of the rolls throughout a series of rolling campaigns. The obtained results show that the low-cycle fatigue mechanism commonly associated to thermal damage is not enough to explain the nucleation of thermal cracks seen in the experiments. The error in the prediction using the traditional low-cycle fatigue theory, in conjunction with the characterization of the pilot-scale rolls and with observations of industrial scale rolls, yields the hypothesis that oxidation and corrosion phenomena occurring throughout the rolling process contribute to a significative reduction in the resistance of the rolls to thermomechanical fatigue. Analytical calculations and additional simulations in microscopic scale were conducted, including effects of oxidation and corrosion, confirming the hypothesis and providing a more assertive line of research for damage nucleation and evolution in the rolls.

Solder joints serve as both mechanical and electrical connections between elements in a package. They are subjected to shear strains generated as a result of the different behaviors of the elements in the package (tension and compression) due to the differences in coefficients of thermal expansion during service conditions. Some of the causes of solder joint failures are due to the following: Vibration: small rapid displacements of parts of the assembly. This is not necessarily an issue with electronic components but larger parts like automobiles. Humidity: the package being exposed to water or ionic species can undergo corrosion if an electrical bias exists resulting in electrical opens or electrical shorts if the corrosion products are electrically conductive. Thermal Aging: this occurs during the lifetime of the solder interconnects, the package can be exposed to high ambient temperature or high dissipated heat during use. The micro-structure of the solder joint becomes more coarse and brittle. Mechanical Shock: the package undergoes shock during a short term exposure to high loads. Thermo-mechanical fatigue: this type of failure arises as a result of the solder joints going through cyclic strains, due to different coefficients of thermal expansion of individual components in the package during service. The most prevalent long-term reliability issues that can cause interconnect failure are thermal aging and thermo-mechanical fatigue. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of solder joints using finite element method, considering solder joint failure due to thermo-mechanical fatigue. Three variations of the BGA (Ball Grid Array) package are evaluated using the finite element analysis. The SAC305 series lead (pb) free alloy of 96.5% tin, 3% silver, and 0.5% copper is employed for this study.

Este estudo apresenta uma abordagem para a avaliação do impacto de parâmetros operacionais de laminação a quente no processo de degradação da superfície do cilindro pelo mecanismo de fadiga térmica. Foi realizado um planejamento de experimentos (DOE) em um laminador piloto, localizado no Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas de São Paulo (IPT), para avaliar a influência de três parâmetros de laminação a quente na temperatura superficial dos cilindros. São eles: temperatura do material, rotação dos cilindros e redução da altura do passe durante a laminação. O experimento permitiu a criação de um modelo para determinação da severidade da campanha de laminação, denominado Coeficiente de Dano à Superfície (k). Foram calculadas a temperatura superficial e a profundidade da camada aquecida de vários cilindros de três laminadores industriais e do laminador experimental do IPT. Os dados foram correlacionados com três parâmetros operacionais de laminação a quente e com o Coeficiente de Dano à Superfície (k). Os resultados mostram uma melhor correlação com a temperatura superficial do cilindro do que com a profundidade da camada aquecida. A aplicação do Coeficiente de Dano à Superfície mostrou-se satisfatória como medida de severidade ao dano térmico. Este coeficiente foi então relacionado com o gradiente de deformação plástica que ocorre em cada ciclo térmico para os laminadores industriais, que foram confrontados com valores obtidos através do cálculo numérico, demonstrando coerência e uma possível tendência linear entre o Coeficiente de Dano à Superfície e a deformação plástica total. / This study analyzes the impact of operational parameters in the process of degradation of roll surface by thermal fatigue in rolling mill. A design of experiments (DOE) analysis was run at a reversible pilot-scale hot rolling mill at the Brazilian Institute for Technological Research (IPT), to evaluate the influence of hot rolling parameters on the roll surface temperature. The data were correlated with three operational hot rolling parameters: temperature of material, roll speed and the cross-section reduction during the rolling pass. The experiment allowed the development of a model to determine the severity of the rolling campaign, called Surface Damage Coefficient (k). The roll surface temperature and the heat-penetration depth for each stand, considering three industrial rolling mills and the reversible pilot-scale hot rolling mill at IPT were calculated. The data were correlated with the three hot rolling parameters and with the Surface Damage Coefficient (k). The results show a better correlation with the roll surface temperature than with the heat-penetration depth. The use of the Surface Damage Coefficient was satisfactory as a measure of severity to the thermal damage. A relationship between this coefficient and the total plastic strain of the roll material was established and it was also compared with numerical results using the Finite Element Method (FEM).