Surface/interface stress and thin film stress

Abstract

Thin film stress is critical for the reliability and electronic/optoelectronic properties of thin film devices. In this chapter, we systematically discussed the effects of surface and interface stresses on the film stress development during growth of polycrystalline films at the initial and final growth stage. We demonstrate that surface stress plays an important role at the initial stage of film growth (island growth stage), and conventional stress analysis technology such as wafer curveture experiments may not be applicable at this stage. At the late stage of film growth, we also show that adatom insertion into the grain boundaries is the primary mechanism of compressive stress development.