Process Temperature–Dependent Mechanical Properties of Polysilicon Measured Using a Novel Tensile Test Structure

A new test structure was developed to measure three major unknown mechanical parameters of deposited thin films, i.e., fracture strength, Young's modulus, and residual stress. The structure was designed to have plural specimens of a deposited thin film bridging the gap of the silicon substrate and enables the easy and efficient tensile testing of the film. It was used to measure those parameters of various polysilicon films. Polysilicon is commonly used as a structural material of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) after being deposited at a temperature below 600 degC and annealed at a temperature around 1000 degC to remove the residual stress. On the other hand, polysilicon can be also deposited at a temperature higher than 600 degC. The three parameters of polysilicon films depend on process temperature and were evaluated using the new test structure. Concerning the strength, films deposited at 560 degC had the highest strength when annealed at 850 degC. Films deposited at 625 degC and annealed at 1050 degC were weaker than those deposited at 560 degC and annealed at 1050 degC. Young's modulus was found to behave in a similar way. The trend of the residual stress was the same as already reported, but its local evaluation was possible in combination with the tensile strength determination