Kinetics of residual stress evolution in evaporated silicon dioxide films exposed to room air

Abstract

Strain dependent stabilization of metallic paramagnetic state in epitaxial NdNiO3 thin films Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 132101 (2012) Residual stresses and clamped thermal expansion in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 thin films Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 122902 (2012) Tribological properties of nanocrystalline diamond films deposited by hot filament chemical vapor deposition AIP Advances 2, 032164 (2012) The combined effect of surface roughness and internal stresses on nanoindentation tests of polysilicon thin films Deposition of silicon dioxide thin films on silicon, germanium, and glass substrates has been accomplished by electron gun evaporation under various experimental conditions. The level of compressive residual stresses in evaporated SiO 2 films determined just after deposition of films on Si or Ge substrates and the mass density of silica were found to be dependent on the substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure in the evaporation chamber. Moreover, the intensity of compressive residual stresses decreased linearly as the logarithm of the exposure time of films to room air ͑aging time͒ was increased. After a compressive-tensile stress transition observed at a given aging time for films with relatively low densities, the intensity of tensile stresses continued to increase progressively with increasing aging time. The relative variation of residual stresses in SiO 2 films was dependent on the mass density of the deposited material. Since the intensity of the absorption band of Si-OH radicals in the infrared spectra of SiO 2 films exposed to room air increased with increasing aging time, the evolution of residual stresses was attributed to the effect of the hydration of silica by water vapor contained in room air. A reaction mechanism involving the physical adsorption of water vapor molecules on the SiO 2 surface and reaction between adspecies and Si-O-Si species is proposed and discussed to interpret the logarithmic kinetics of residual stress evolution in evaporated SiO 2 films exposed to room air.

Durability of nanosized oxygen-barrier coatings on polymers

“…As shown in Fig. 11, hydration of SiO 2 thin films by water vapor during aging leads to a relaxation of the deposition-induced compressive stress, and to a compressive-to-tensile transition [136,174]. Corrosion stress cracking was observed in mechanically constrained plasma polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) thin films, initially under compressive stress, upon exposure to alcohols [175].…”

Ageing under mechanical stress: first experiments for a silver based multilayer mirror

“…This evolution is likely to give rise to ageing and degradation. In addition to that intrinsic phenomenon, during the storage stage, the multilayers are subject to environment conditions and variations, such as temperature changes, atmospheric water adsorption by the protective film [14] , internal solid state reactions within or between layers (e.g. adhesion promoter).…”

Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 thin films deposited by electron-beam evaporation: Optical properties, structure and residual stresses

“…Using a ZYGO MarkIII-GPI interferometer to measure the radii of the substrate curvature before and after deposition, the residual stress s in the film is then given by Stoney's equation [22]:…”