Stress Measurements in Thin Films Deposited on Single Crystal Substrates Through X-ray Topography Techniques

Abstract

The application of x-ray topographic techniques to the measurement of stress in thin, films is discussed. Quantitative measurements of stresses in thin films deposited on semiconductor substrates, such as silicon, are also discussed. Double crystal and single crystal techniques are used for such measurements. Both techniques are applied to the measurements of stress in silicon oxide, silicon nitride and polycrystalline silicon films on silicon. The doubly crystal technique is useful for measurements of stresses as low as 10⁹ dynes/cm² in films only 1000A thick. The single crystal technique is less sensitive by one order of magnitude. The advantage of the single crystal technique is its simplicity and speed. It is useful for large scale measurements as encountered in the manufacture of silicon integrated circuit.