Bionano crystallized poly-Si film for increasing tensile stress in MEMS/NEMS device structures

Bionano crystallized poly-Si film for increasing tensile stress in MEMS/NEMS device structures is presented. Ni nanoparticles (NPs) formed in a cage-shaped protein supramolecule, apoferritin, are used as catalyst material for metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) of amorphous Si film. Although as-deposited amorphous Si film has compressive stress, with the MILC using the apoferritin containing Ni NP core, crystallization is promoted to generate tensile stress (crystallization-induced stress) in the poly-Si film. The generation of tensile stress is analyzed with electron backscatter diffraction and MEMS stress monitor. Moreover, position-controlled crystallization is realized through patterning the apoferritin molecules containing Ni NP cores.