Practical limitations to indentation testing of thin films

One of the simplest ways to measure the mechanical properties of a thin film is to deform it on a very small scale. Because indentation testing with a sharp indenter is one convenient means to accomplish this, nanoindentation, or indentation testing at the nanometer scale, has become one of the most widely used techniques for measuring the mechanical properties of thin films. Other reasons for the popularity of nanoindentation stem from the ease with which a wide variety of mechanical properties can be measured without removing the film from its substrate and the ability to probe a surface at numerous points and spatially map its mechanical properties. The utility of the mapping capability is illustrated in Figure 1, which shows several small indentations made at selected points in a microelectronic device. The hardness and modulus of the device were determined at each point. In addition to microelectronics, nanoindentation has also proved useful in the study of optical coatings, hard coatings, and materials with surfaces modified by ion implantation and laser treatment.

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Practical Limitations to Indentation Testing of Thin Films

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-505-91 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 505 ◽

Author(s):

J. A. Schneider ◽

K. F. McCarty ◽

J. R. Heffelfinger ◽

N. R. Moody

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Mechanical Properties ◽

Scanning Force Microscopy ◽

Indentation Testing ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Sapphire Substrates ◽

Low Load ◽

Scanning Force ◽

Deposited Films

ABSTRACTA method that is becoming increasingly common for measuring the mechanical behavior of thin films is low-load indentation testing. However, there can be complications in interpreting the results as many factors can affect hardness and moduli measurements such as surface roughness and determination of the indentation contact area. To further our understanding, the mechanical properties of thin (50 nm) films of AlN on sapphire substrates were evaluated using a scanning force microscopy (SFM) based pico-indentation device to allow imaging of the surface and indentations. Our primary emphasis was the types of problems or limitations involved in testing very thin, as deposited films in which properties are desired over indentation depths less than 50 nm.

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Evaluation of Sharp Indentation Testing of Thin Films and Ribbons on Hard Substrates

Journal of Testing and Evaluation ◽

10.1520/jte12290j ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 64 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

DR Petersen ◽

RE Link ◽

PL Larsson ◽

IRM Peterson

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Indentation Testing ◽

Sharp Indentation ◽

Hard Substrates

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Analysis of elastic and plastic deformation associated with indentation testing of thin films on substrates

International Journal of Solids and Structures ◽

10.1016/0020-7683(88)90091-1 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 24 (12) ◽

pp. 1287-1298 ◽

Cited By ~ 427

Author(s):

A.K. Bhattacharya ◽

W.D. Nix

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Plastic Deformation ◽

Indentation Testing ◽

Elastic And Plastic Deformation

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The study of interfacial reactions of nickel thin films on GaAs

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100074616 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 156-157

Author(s):

L.J. Chen ◽

Y.F. Hsieh

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Integrated Circuits ◽

Interfacial Reactions ◽

Metal Contacts ◽

Nickel Thin Films ◽

Thin Foils ◽

The Status ◽

Si Doped ◽

Electron Microscopes

One measure of the maturity of a device technology is the ease and reliability of applying contact metallurgy. Compared to metal contact of silicon, the status of GaAs metallization is still at its primitive stage. With the advent of GaAs MESFET and integrated circuits, very stringent requirements were placed on their metal contacts. During the past few years, extensive researches have been conducted in the area of Au-Ge-Ni in order to lower contact resistances and improve uniformity. In this paper, we report the results of TEM study of interfacial reactions between Ni and GaAs as part of the attempt to understand the role of nickel in Au-Ge-Ni contact of GaAs.N-type, Si-doped, (001) oriented GaAs wafers, 15 mil in thickness, were grown by gradient-freeze method. Nickel thin films, 300Å in thickness, were e-gun deposited on GaAs wafers. The samples were then annealed in dry N2 in a 3-zone diffusion furnace at temperatures 200°C - 600°C for 5-180 minutes. Thin foils for TEM examinations were prepared by chemical polishing from the GaA.s side. TEM investigations were performed with JE0L- 100B and JE0L-200CX electron microscopes.

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Studies on Water in the Hydration Chamber of a Modified Electron Microscope

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100069715 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 544-545

Author(s):

R. C. Moretz ◽

G. G. Hausner ◽

D. F. Parsons

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

Steady State ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Small Mass ◽

Equilibrium Pressure ◽

Biological Objects ◽

Mechanical Pump ◽

Differential Pumping

Use of the electron microscope to examine wet objects is possible due to the small mass thickness of the equilibrium pressure of water vapor at room temperature. Previous attempts to examine hydrated biological objects and water itself used a chamber consisting of two small apertures sealed by two thin films. Extensive work in our laboratory showed that such films have an 80% failure rate when wet. Using the principle of differential pumping of the microscope column, we can use open apertures in place of thin film windows.Fig. 1 shows the modified Siemens la specimen chamber with the connections to the water supply and the auxiliary pumping station. A mechanical pump is connected to the vapor supply via a 100μ aperture to maintain steady-state conditions.

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Nucleation and Early Growth of Sputtered thin Films

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100069570 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 516-517

Author(s):

Dudley M. Sherman ◽

Thos. E. Hutchinson

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Electron Beam ◽

Ion Beam ◽

Ion Source ◽

Water Cooling ◽

Stages Of Growth ◽

Lens Assembly ◽

Microscope Technique ◽

Ion Beam Sputter Deposition

The in situ electron microscope technique has been shown to be a powerful method for investigating the nucleation and growth of thin films formed by vacuum vapor deposition. The nucleation and early stages of growth of metal deposits formed by ion beam sputter-deposition are now being studied by the in situ technique.A duoplasmatron ion source and lens assembly has been attached to one side of the universal chamber of an RCA EMU-4 microscope and a sputtering target inserted into the chamber from the opposite side. The material to be deposited, in disc form, is bonded to the end of an electrically isolated copper rod that has provisions for target water cooling. The ion beam is normal to the microscope electron beam and the target is placed adjacent to the electron beam above the specimen hot stage, as shown in Figure 1.

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