THERMAL STRESS BEHAVIOR IN NANO-SIZE THIN ALUMINUM FILMS

Abstract

In-situ observation of thermal stresses in thin films deposited on a silicon substrate was made by synchrotron radiation. Specimens prepared in this experiment were nano-size thin aluminum films with SiO 2 passivation. The thickness of the films was 10 nm, 20 nm and 50 nm. Synchrotron radiation revealed the diffraction intensities for these thin films and make possible to measure stresses in nano-size thin films. Residual stresses in the as-deposited state were tensile. Compressive stresses were developed in a heating cycle up to 300°C and tensile stresses were developed in a cooling cycle. The thermal stresses in the 50 nm film showed linear behavior in the first heating stage from room temperature to 250°C followed by no change in the stress at 300°C, however, linearly behaved in the second cycle. On the other hand, the thermal stresses in 20 nm and 10 nm films almost linearly behaved without any hysteresis in increasing and decreasing temperature cycles. The mechanism of thermal stress behavior in thin films can be explained by strengthening of the nano-size thin films due to inhibition of dislocation source and dislocation motion.