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Characterizing the effect of uniaxial strain on the surface roughness of Si nanowire MEMS-based microstructures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2011

E. Escobedo-Cousin ,
S.H. Olsen ,
T. Pardoen ,
U. Bhaskar  and
J.-P. Raskin
E. Escobedo-Cousin
Affiliation:
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
S.H. Olsen
Affiliation:
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
T. Pardoen
Affiliation:
Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
U. Bhaskar
Affiliation:
Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
J.-P. Raskin
Affiliation:
Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Abstract

This work addresses the paucity of roughness measurements by reporting on roughness parameters in uniaxial strained Si beams relevant for state of the art MOSFETs, nanowire and MEMS devices, with varying degrees of strain. Roughness is characterized by high resolution AFM and strain is characterized by Raman spectroscopy. Microstructures comprising a silicon nitride actuator are used to induce a wide range of stress levels in Si beams. The microstructures also allow the comparison of surface evolution in the strain direction (along the Si beam) compared with the unstrained direction (across the Si beam). A gradual reduction in rms roughness amplitude and increase in roughness correlation length in the direction of the applied stress are found for increasing values of strain. In contrast, surface roughness in the direction perpendicular to the applied stress remained largely unchanged from the unstrained initial state.

Keywords

Siscanning probe microscopy (SPM)microelectro-mechanical (MEMS)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1299: Symposium S – Microelectromechanical Systems—Materials and Devices IV , 2011 , mrsf10-1299-s03-04
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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