Microfabricated structures for the <i>i</i> <i>n</i> <i>s</i> <i>i</i> <i>t</i> <i>u</i> measurement of residual stress, Young’s modulus, and ultimate strain of thin films

Abstract

Two microfabricated structures for the in situ measurement of mechanical properties of thin films, a suspended membrane, and an asymmetric ‘‘released structure,’’ are reported. For a polyimide film on silicon dioxide, the membrane measurements yield a residual tensile stress of 30 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 3 GPa. The released structures measure the ratio of residual stress to Young’s modulus, and yield 0.011 at strains comparable to the suspended membranes, and 0.015 at larger strains. The ultimate strain as measured by both structures is approximately 4%.