InP membranes have been bonded oxide mediated onto a patterned and unpatterned Si
substrate. Indentation is shown to allow local testing on patterned areas. Both
responses on patterned and unpatterned are compared and placed in reference to
oxide free bonded membranes. Delamination of the membrane was observed to depend
on the presence of patterns in the Silicon substrate. It occurs when the
indenting load reached 55 mN for an oxide mediated bonded unpatterned structure
and 42 mN for an oxide mediated bonded patterned one. This is in both cases
below the value of 80 mN obtained for an oxide free bonded membrane
(unpatterned). Weibull analysis of these events yielded a modulus m of magnitude
6 to 10, indicating that delamination fracture is relatively predictable with a
weaker resistance obtained in patterned oxide mediated bonding. Delamination of
the membrane is the result of constraint of plastic flow by the InP/Si
interface. Membrane rotation is induced and increases with the indentation load,
until it is sufficient to initiate and propagate an interfacial crack.