Practical Application of a Geometrically Nonlinear Stress-Curvature Relation

Abstract

ABSTRACTA recently developed geometrically nonlinear stress-curvature relation based on a minimization of the total strain energy, which predicts a bifurcation in shape as the magnitude of intrinsic film stress increases, is discussed in this paper. It is compared with the linear theories of Stoney and Brenner & Senderoff for a thin molybdenum film on silicon substrates with various thicknesses. Although the ratio of film to substrate elastic modulus is only 2, Stoney's equation generates significant error for this film/substrate system and the Brenner & Senderoff relation should be used for calculating initial film stress when plate deflections are small. When deflections exceed approximately half the substrate thickness the Brenner & Senderoff equation produces over 10% error and consequently, the nonlinear stress-deflection relation should be used to relate plate curvatures to initial film stress.