Methods to improve reliability of bulge test technique to extract mechanical properties of thin films

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (9-11) ◽  
pp. 1888-1893 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Youssef ◽  
A. Ferrand ◽  
P. Calmon ◽  
P. Pons ◽  
R. Plana
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
Test Technique ◽  
Improve Reliability

scholarly journals Investigation of mechanical properties of gold thin films using a bulge test technique

2010 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 012163 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Hémel ◽  
A Jacques ◽  
T Schenk ◽  
O Ferry ◽  
T Kruml
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
Test Technique ◽  
Gold Thin Films

Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Thin Films by Bulge Test

2009 ◽  
Vol 156-158 ◽  
pp. 477-482
Author(s):  
Audrey Hémel ◽  
Alain Jacques ◽  
Thomas Schenk ◽  
Tomáš Kruml
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Mechanical Tests ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
Gold Films ◽  
Test Device

A new bulge test device has been built, with the aim to perform mechanical tests on membranes with a thickness in the 100 nm to 10 µm range, between room temperature and 900°C. The first tests on Si3N4 and gold films give results consistent with literature data.

Analysis of the accuracy of the bulge test in determining the mechanical properties of thin films

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1553-1563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha K. Small ◽  
W.D. Nix
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Deformation Behavior ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Standard Technique ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
The Finite Element Method

Since its first application to thin films in the 1950's the bulge test has become a standard technique for measuring thin film mechanical properties. While the apparatus required for the test is simple, interpretation of the data is not. Failure to recognize this fact has led to inconsistencies in the reported values of properties obtained using the bulge test. For this reason we have used the finite element method to model the deformation behavior of a thin film in a bulge test for a variety of initial conditions and material properties. In this paper we will review several of the existing models for describing the deformation behavior of a circular thin film in a bulge test, and then analyze these models in light of the finite element results. The product of this work is a set of equations and procedures for analyzing bulge test data that will improve the accuracy and reliability of this technique.

Re-Examining the Bulge Test: Methods for Improving Accuracy and Reliability

1991 ◽  
Vol 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha K. Small ◽  
Joost J. Vlassak ◽  
William D. Nix
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Tensile Tests ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Tension Test ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Bulk Materials ◽  
Test Technique ◽  
Improving Accuracy

ABSTRACTSince its first application to thin films in the 1950's, the bulge test has had a prominent place in the field of thin film mechanical properties. The major appeal of the technique is that it is analogous to the familiar uniaxial tension test, which is commonly applied to bulk materials. At the same time, it avoids the sample tearing and alignment problems associated with micro-tensile tests. Unfortunately, bulge test results have been sometimes controversial and difficult to reproduce. In this paper we address possible causes for mese inconsistencies and describe a method by which the bulge test technique can be made to produce accurate and reliable results.

Accuracy analysis of plane-strain bulge test for determining mechanical properties of thin films

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 3265-3273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin YANG ◽  
Shi-guo LONG ◽  
Zeng-sheng MA ◽  
Zi-han WANG
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Plane Strain ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
Accuracy Analysis

The Mechanical Properties of Electroplated Cu Thin Films Measured by means of the Bulge Test Technique

2001 ◽  
Vol 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Xiang ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Joost J. Vlassak
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Yield Stress ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Test Technique ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Analytical Formulae

ABSTRACTThe mechanical properties of freestanding electroplated Cu films were determined by measuring the deflection of Si-framed, pressurized membranes. The films were deformed under plane-strain conditions. The pressure-deflection data are converted into stress-strain curves by means of simple analytical formulae. The microstructure of the Cu films was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The yield stress, Young's modulus, and residual stress were determined as a function of film thickness and microstructure. Both yield stress and Young's modulus increase with decreasing film thickness and correlate well with changes in the microstructure and texture of the films.

Mechanical properties of porous and fully dense low-κ dielectric thin films measured by means of nanoindentation and the plane-strain bulge test technique

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Xiang ◽  
X. Chen ◽  
T.Y. Tsui ◽  
J-I. Jang ◽  
J.J. Vlassak
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Plane Strain ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Contact Stiffness ◽  
Bulge Test ◽  
Substrate Effect ◽  
Test Technique ◽  
Dielectric Thin Films

We report on the results of a comparative study in which the mechanical response of both fully dense and porous low-κ dielectric thin films was evaluated using two different techniques: nanoindentation and the plane-strain bulge test. Stiffness values measured by nanoindentation are systematically higher than those obtained using the bulge test technique. The difference between the measurements is caused by the Si substrate, which adds significantly to the contact stiffness in the indentation measurements. Depending on the properties of the coatings, the effect can be as large as 20%, even if the indentation depth is less than 5% of the film thickness. After correction of the nanoindentation results for the substrate effect using existing models, good agreement is achieved between both techniques. The results further show that densification of porous material under the indenter does not affect stiffness measurements significantly. By contrast, nanoindentation hardness values of porous thin films are affected by both substrate and densification effects. It is possible to eliminate the effect of densification and to extract the yield stress of the film using a model for the indentation of porous materials proposed by the authors. After correcting for substrate and densification effects, the nanoindentation results are in close agreement with the bulge test measurements. The results of this comparative study validate the numerical models proposed by Chen and Vlassak for the substrate effect and by Chen et al. for the densification effect.

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