Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Theta-like specimen to determine tensile strength at the micro-scale

Published

Author(s)

Michael S. Gaither, Frank W. DelRio, Richard S. Gates, Edwin R. Fuller, Robert F. Cook

Abstract

Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems are typically formed via lithographic and etching processes that leave residual surface features, stresses, and chemistry that ultimately control component strength and device reliability. Here, we describe a new test structure for micro-scale tensile strength measurements that allows for direct assessment of surface effects on strength. Specimens were formed from silicon-on-insulator wafers via deep reactive ion etching and tested with instrumented indentation. The experimental results were interpreted via finite element models to extract fracture strength. Fracture strengths as great as 3 GPa were observed, with fracture initiating at process-induced flaws and propagating along {111} and {110} planes.
Proceedings Title
Proceedings of the 23rd IEEE International Conference on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems: MEMS 2010
Conference Dates
January 24-28, 2010
Conference Location
Hong Kong SAR
Conference Title
The 23rd IEEE International Conference on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems: MEMS 2010

Keywords

Finite element analysis (FEA), fracture strength, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), single-crystal silicon, Weibull statistics

Citation

Gaither, M. , DelRio, F. , Gates, R. , Fuller, E. and Cook, R. (2010), Theta-like specimen to determine tensile strength at the micro-scale, Proceedings of the 23rd IEEE International Conference on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems: MEMS 2010, Hong Kong SAR, -1, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=904555 (Accessed December 6, 2024)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact reflib@nist.gov.

Created March 10, 2010, Updated February 19, 2017