3C-SiC Films on Si for MEMS Applications: Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Abstract. Single crystal 3C-SiC films were grown on (100) and (111) Si substrate orientations in order to study the resulting mechanical properties of this material. In addition, poly-crystalline 3C-SiC was also grown on (100)Si so that a comparison with monocrystaline 3C-SiC, also grown on (100)Si, could be made. The mechanical properties of single crystal and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films grown on Si substrates were measured by means of nanoindentation using a Berkovich diamond tip. These results indicate that polycrystalline SiC thin films are attractive for MEMS applications when compared with the single crystal 3C-SiC, which is promising since growing single crystal 3C-SiC films is more challenging. MEMS cantilevers and membranes fabricated from a 2 µm thick single crystal 3C-SiC grown on (100)Si under similar conditions resulted in a small degree of bow with only 9 µm of deflection for a cantilever of 700 µm length with an estimated tensile film stress of 300 MPa. Single crystal 3C-SiC films on (111)Si substrates have the highest elastic and plastic properties, although due to high residual stress they tend to crack and delaminate.

Strengthening Brittle Semiconductor Nanowires through Stacking Faults: Insights from in Situ Mechanical Testing

“…The extremely high density of SFs in the WZ−SF NWs leads to the formation of various polytypic structures in the NWs. Similar to the situation in which different polytypic SiC structures have different Young's moduli, 38,39 the Young's moduli of different GaAs polytypic structures are also different. This is confirmed from the different slopes of the linear elastic load−displacement curves in Figure 2.…”

Optimization of growth parameters for growth of high quality heteroepitaxial 3C–SiC films at 1200°C

“…The high electron mobility of the cubic polytype is beneficial for switching devices like metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors where high channel mobility is needed [2]. Because of its good mechanical properties, especially its high hardness and high Young's modulus [3], it is also suitable for micro-electro-mechanical systems. Since 3C-SiC bulk material is not available today and most devices only use the top part of a wafer, heteroepitaxy is the only way to compensate this deficiency.…”

AFM and Cell Staining to Assess the In Vitro Biocompatibility of Opaque Surfaces

“…The samples used in this work were as follows: commercial (100) Si and (111) Si; (100) 3C-SiC and (111) 3C-SiC (growth process detailed in (Locke et al, 2009;Reyes et al, 2006)); NCD (process detailed in (Kumar et al, 2000)); amorphous glass cover slips; sterile Corning CellBIND ® treated polystyrene. The Si and 3C-SiC were n-doped, possessing a negative bulk charge, and the NCD has intrinsic, or semi-insulating, doping.…”