Mechanical characterization of SiLK by nanoindentation and substrate curvature techniques

Advanced micro mechanical characterization methods provide material properties of thin films for modelling thermo mechanical behavior of thin films for microelectronic applications. Here we focus on the local measurement method of nanoindentation for finding visco-elastic properties, and a global method of substrate curvature testing that provides linear elastic properties. Our specimen of SiLK, Dow Chemicals, is a thin polymer film with a thickness of 400 nm and also 8 μm, deposited on a Si substrate. Our results show temperature dependent linear elastic and linear visco-elastic material properties for thin film materials.