Stress anisotropy compensation of the sputter-deposited metal thin films by variable bias voltage

Abstract

We introduce a new technique for compensating stress anisotropy across the thickness of sputter-deposited metal films. Our technique balances the film vertical stress gradient by altering the substrate bias during sputtering and by controlling the ion flux and energy that bombards the growing film. Sputter-deposited metal films are appealing materials for microfabrication of freestanding and out-of-plane structures, especially because of their low thermal budget. These microstructures extend the design space of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based devices, and they overcome some of the limitations of in-plane processing. Unfortunately, most elemental metals and alloys when sputter deposited have a substantial stress gradient across their thickness that can deteriorate their mechanical properties and severely distort the shape of the fabricated freestanding microstructures. The stress gradient across the thickness of a sputtered film can be compensated (balanced) by embedding a layer in the film with the opposite stress polarity compared to that of the bulk of the film. The force exerted by the stress mismatch between this layer and the bulk of the film easily overcomes the film's vertical stress gradient. This compensating force guarantees that a released freestanding structure remains flat and does not curl upward. This virtual layer is introduced to the growing film by altering the substrate bias voltage during the sputtering process. The substrate bias voltage controls the ion flux and energy that bombards the film, and it enables tailoring the film stress parameters. This technique has enabled us to fabricate freestanding microstructures up to 500 µm long with negligible stress-related deformation.