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Measurements of residual stresses in Al film/silicon nitride substrate microcantilever beam systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 May 2011

Chiao-Chi Lin ,
Weileun Fang ,
Hung-Yi Lin ,
Chun-Hway Hsueh  and
Sanboh Lee
Chiao-Chi Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
Weileun Fang
Affiliation:
Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
Hung-Yi Lin
Affiliation:
Mechanical and System Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Chutung, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
Chun-Hway Hsueh
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10619 Taiwan
Sanboh Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: sblee@mx.nthu.edu.tw
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Abstract

Microcantilevers fabricated by microelectromechanical system processes were used to study the residual stresses in the film/substrate systems. Aluminum films were deposited on silicon nitride substrates by thermal evaporation at room and elevated temperatures, and residual stresses were characterized from the deflection profiles of the Al/SiNx microcantilevers. The Al/SiNx microcantilever beam made of room-temperature-deposited Al film was found to deflect toward the substrate side, which in turn resulted in compressive residual stress in the film. In contrary, the microcantilever of Al film deposited at 105 °C was found to deflect toward the side of Al film when the thickness ratio of film to substrate was greater than 0.31 and the residual film stresses were tensile. The axes with zero bending strain component and zero stresses, i.e., the bending and the neutral axes in the film/substrate system were also investigated. The results can be applied to the arm of the atomic force microscope to characterize its deflection and stresses.

Keywords

MicroelectromechanicalAlFilm
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 10 , 28 May 2011 , pp. 1279 - 1284
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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