17,523 research outputs found

    Measurement of the state of stress in silicon with micro-Raman spectroscopy

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    Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been widely used to measure local stresses in silicon and other cubic materials. However, a single (scalar) line position measurement cannot determine the complete stress state unless it has a very simple form such as uniaxial. Previously published micro-Raman strategies designed to determine additional elements of the stress tensor take advantage of the polarization and intensity of the Raman-scattered light, but these strategies have not been validated experimentally. In this work, we test one such stategy [S. Narayanan, S. Kalidindi, and L. Schadler, J. Appl. Phys. 82, 2595 (1997)] for rectangular (110)- and (111)-orientated silicon wafers. The wafers are subjected to a bending stress using a custom-designed apparatus, and the state of (plane) stress is modeled with ABAQUS. The Raman shifts are calculated using previously published values for silicon phonon deformation potentials. The experimentally measured values for σxxσxx, σyyσyy, and τxyτxy at the silicon surface are in good agreement with those calculated with the ABAQUS model.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70888/2/JAPIAU-96-12-7195-1.pd

    Micro-Raman measurement of strain in silicon nanowires

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    Crystalline nanostructures such as silicon nanowires (SiNWs) may have residual mechanical stress and strain from the fabrication process, which can potentially impair their reliability as building blocks of Microelectromechanical system (MEMS). The amount of strain may be minuscule, which requires very accurate measurements to determine the strain. Micro-Raman spectroscopy is a work horse tool since it is a simple, fast and nondestructive technique that can be used to assess mechanical strain. However, a precise evaluation of residual strain for nanostructures using micro-Raman spectroscopy requires careful calibrations and theoretical calculations. This thesis describes the interrelations between Raman shift and strain in fabricated silicon nanowires. The calibration methods are used to eliminate the two dominant errors: errors in focusing, and laser heating effects, which can lead to apparent Raman shifts. Finally, the Raman measurement results are discussed and the corresponding residual strain in the [110] direction is calculated. This work is concluded with the discussion of possible causes of strain

    Micro-spectroscopy on silicon wafers and solar cells

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    Micro-Raman (ÎŒRS) and micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy (ÎŒPLS) are demonstrated as valuable characterization techniques for fundamental research on silicon as well as for technological issues in the photovoltaic production. We measure the quantitative carrier recombination lifetime and the doping density with submicron resolution by ÎŒPLS and ÎŒRS. ÎŒPLS utilizes the carrier diffusion from a point excitation source and ÎŒRS the hole density-dependent Fano resonances of the first order Raman peak. This is demonstrated on micro defects in multicrystalline silicon. In comparison with the stress measurement by ÎŒRS, these measurements reveal the influence of stress on the recombination activity of metal precipitates. This can be attributed to the strong stress dependence of the carrier mobility (piezoresistance) of silicon. With the aim of evaluating technological process steps, Fano resonances in ÎŒRS measurements are analyzed for the determination of the doping density and the carrier lifetime in selective emitters, laser fired doping structures, and back surface fields, while ÎŒPLS can show the micron-sized damage induced by the respective processes

    Stress Monitoring of Post-processed MEMS Silicon Microbridge Structures Using Raman Spectroscopy

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    Inherent residual stresses during material deposition can have profound effects on the functionality and reliability of fabricated Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices. Residual stress often causes device failure due to curling, buckling, or fracture. Typically, the material properties of thin films used in surface micromachining are not well controlled during deposition. The residual stress; for example, tends to vary significantly for different deposition methods. Currently, few nondestructive techniques are available to measure residual stress in MEMS devices prior to the final release etch. In this research, micro-Raman spectroscopy is used to measure the residual stresses in polysilicon MEMS microbridge devices. This measurement technique was selected since it is nondestructive, fast, and provides the potential for in-situ stress monitoring. Raman spectroscopy residual stress profiles on unreleased and released MEMS microbridge beams are compared to analytical and FEM models to assess the viability of micro-Raman spectroscopy as an in-situ stress measurement technique. Raman spectroscopy was used during post-processing phosphorus ion implants on unreleased MEMS devices to investigate and monitor residual stress levels at key points during the post-processing sequences. As observed through Raman stress profiles and verified using on-chip test structures, the post-processing implants and accompanying anneals resulted in residual stress relaxation of over 90%

    Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy to Assess MEMS Si/SiO2 Membranes Exhibiting Negative Spring Constant Behavior

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    We introduce a novel micro-mechanical structure that exhibits two regions of stable linear positive and negative stiffness. Springs, cantilevers, beams and any other geometry that display an increasing return force that is proportional to the displacement can be considered to have a “Hookean” positive spring constant, or stiffness. Less well known is the opposite characteristic of a reducing return force for a given deflection, or negative stiffness. Unfortunately many simple negative stiffness structures exhibit unstable buckling and require additional moving components during deflection to avoid deforming out of its useful shape. In Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices, buckling caused by stress at the interface of silicon and thermally grown SiO2 causes tensile and compressive forces that will warp structures if the silicon layer is thin enough. The 1 mm2 membrane structures presented here utilizes this effect but overcome this limitation and empirically demonstrates linearity in both regions. The Si/SiO2 membranes presented deflect ~17 ÎŒm from their pre-released position. The load deflection curves produced exhibit positive linear stiffness with an inflection point holding nearly constant with a slight negative stiffness. Depositing a 0.05 ÎŒm titanium and 0.3 ÎŒm layer of gold on top of the Si/SiO2 membrane reduces the initial deflection to ~13.5 ÎŒm. However, the load deflection curve produced illustrates both a linear positive and negative spring constant with a fairly sharp inflection point. These results are potentially useful to selectively tune the spring constant of mechanical structures used in MEMS. The structures presented are manufactured using typical micromachining techniques and can be fabricated in-situ with other MEMS devices

    Local Optical Probe of Motion and Stress in a multilayer graphene NEMS

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    Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMSs) are emerging nanoscale elements at the crossroads between mechanics, optics and electronics, with significant potential for actuation and sensing applications. The reduction of dimensions compared to their micronic counterparts brings new effects including sensitivity to very low mass, resonant frequencies in the radiofrequency range, mechanical non-linearities and observation of quantum mechanical effects. An important issue of NEMS is the understanding of fundamental physical properties conditioning dissipation mechanisms, known to limit mechanical quality factors and to induce aging due to material degradation. There is a need for detection methods tailored for these systems which allow probing motion and stress at the nanometer scale. Here, we show a non-invasive local optical probe for the quantitative measurement of motion and stress within a multilayer graphene NEMS provided by a combination of Fizeau interferences, Raman spectroscopy and electrostatically actuated mirror. Interferometry provides a calibrated measurement of the motion, resulting from an actuation ranging from a quasi-static load up to the mechanical resonance while Raman spectroscopy allows a purely spectral detection of mechanical resonance at the nanoscale. Such spectroscopic detection reveals the coupling between a strained nano-resonator and the energy of an inelastically scattered photon, and thus offers a new approach for optomechanics

    Thermomechanical Characterization And Modeling For TSV Structures

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    Continual scaling of devices and on-chip wiring has brought significant challenges for materials and processes beyond the 32-nm technology node in microelectronics. Recently, three-dimensional (3-D) integration with through-silicon vias (TSVs) has emerged as an effective solution to meet the future technology requirements. Among others, thermo-mechanical reliability is a key concern for the development of TSV structures used in die stacking as 3-D interconnects. This paper presents experimental measurements of the thermal stresses in TSV structures and analyses of interfacial reliability. The micro-Raman measurements were made to characterize the local distribution of the near-surface stresses in Si around TSVs. On the other hand, the precision wafer curvature technique was employed to measure the average stress and deformation in the TSV structures subject to thermal cycling. To understand the elastic and plastic behavior of TSVs, the microstructural evolution of the Cu vias was analyzed using focused ion beam (FIB) and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) techniques. Furthermore, the impact of thermal stresses on interfacial reliability of TSV structures was investigated by a shear-lag cohesive zone model that predicts the critical temperatures and critical via diameters.Microelectronics Research Cente
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