"Slipping and sliding. Creeping and hiding. You better beware of the
snake in the grass." - The Temptations
Here you see seven, chronologically-ordered, optical
microscope images taken over the course of 15 minutes, depicting the
evolution of telephone cord delamination of a nano-crystalline silicon
thin-film. This progression serves as a sobering reminder for materials
engineers: In order for our pristine films to successfully leave the
comfort of the vacuum chamber and face the natural environment for the
first time, we must first vanquish a slipping and sliding army of
snakes.