A computerized model for thermal stresses in thin films

Abstract

Thermal stresses are primarily responsible for morphological changes in thin films, including hillocks, whiskers and void or pit formations, which present serious problems of reliability in microelectronics. In the present paper, a computerized model for prediction of thermal stresses in thin films is suggested. The closed system of governing partial differential equations for thermal stresses in a thin film is utilized for any in-plane shape of the film. Some numerical experiments are conducted to verify the model.