Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-28T11:22:42.471Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Size effect on the mechanical properties of microfabricated polysilicon thin films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

J. N. Ding ,
Y. G. Meng  and
S. Z. Wen
J. N. Ding
Affiliation:
National Tribology Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
Y. G. Meng
Affiliation:
National Tribology Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
S. Z. Wen
Affiliation:
National Tribology Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
Get access

Abstract

A new microtensile test device using a magnetic-solenoid force actuator was developed to evaluate the mechanical properties of microfabricated polysilicon thin films that were 100–660 mm long, 20–200 μm wide, and 2.4-μm thick. It was found that the measured average value of Young's modulus, 164 GPa ± 1.2 GPa, falls within the theoretical bounds. The average fracture strength is 1.36 GPa with a standard deviation of 0.14 GPa, and the Weibull modulus is 10.4–11.7. Statistical analysis of the specimen size effects on the tensile strength predicated the size effects on the length, the surface area, and the volume of the specimens. The fracture strength increases with an increase of the ratio of surface area to volume. In such cases, the size effect can be corrected to the ratio of the surface area to volume as the governing parameter. The test data accounts for the uncertainties in mechanical properties and may be used to enhance the reliability and design of polysilicon microelectromechanical systems devices.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 16 , Issue 8 , August 2001 , pp. 2223 - 2228
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1Wen, S.Z. and Ding, J.N., Chinese J. Mech. Eng. 36, 39 (2000).Google Scholar
2Spearing, S.M., Acta Mater. 48, 179 (2000).Google Scholar
3Amato, I., Science 282, 402 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Greek, S., Ericson, F., Johansson, S., and Schweitz, J-Å., Thin Solid Films 292, 247 (1997).Google Scholar
5Jones, P.T., Johnson, G.C., and Howe, R.T., in Part of the SPIE conference on MEMS reliability for critical and space applications, Santa Clara, CA (SPIE, Bellingham, WA, 1999), p. 20.Google Scholar
6Osterberg, P.M. and Senturia, S.D., J. Microelectromech. Syst. 6, 107 (1997).Google Scholar
7Read, D.T., J. Test. Eval. 26, 255 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Sharpe, W.N. Jr., Yuan, B., and Edwards, R.L., J. Microelectromech. Syst. 6, 193 (1997).Google Scholar
9Serre, C., Gorostiza, P., Pérez-Rodríguez, A., and Sanz, F., Sens. Actuators A 67, 215 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Ding, J.N., Meng, Y.G., and Wen, S.Z., in International Symposium on Smart Structures and Microsystems, Hong Kong (Chinese Uni-versity of Hong Kong, 2000), p. 19.Google Scholar
11Tsuchiya, T., Tabata, O., Sakata, J., and Taga, Y., J. Microelectromech. Syst. 7, 106 (1997).Google Scholar
12Ding, J.N., Meng, Y.G., and Wen, S.Z., Chin. J. Sci. Instrum. 21, 440 (2000).Google Scholar
13Jayaraman, S., Edwards, R.L., and Hemker, K.J., J. Mater. Res. 14, 688 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Reuss, A., Z.Angew. Math. Mech. 9, 49 (1929).Google Scholar
15Smithells, C.J., Metals Reference Book, 5th ed. (Butterworths, London, U.K., Boston, MA, 1976), p. 978.Google Scholar
16Ding, J.N., Meng, Y.G., and Wen, S.Z., in International Reliability Physics Symposium Proceedings, Orlando, FL, (2001), p. 106.Google Scholar
17Keller, R.M., Baker, S.P., and Arzt, E., J. Mater. Res. 13, 1307 (1998).Google Scholar