Abstract
A method based on contact resonance atomic force microscopy (AFM) was proposed to determine the mechanical properties of thin films. By analyzing the contact resonance frequencies of an AFM probe while the tip was in contact with the sample, the stiffness and residual stress of a freestanding circular SiNx membrane were evaluated quantitatively. The obtained magnitude of residual stress was in reasonable agreement with that determined by wafer curvature measurement. The method was verified to have much better mechanical sensitivity than the popular AFM bending test method. Its promising application to fast, nondestructive mechanical mapping of thin-film-type structures at the nanoscale was also demonstrated.
Published Version
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