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Mechanical Properties of 3C-SiC Films for MEMS Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Jayadeep Deva Reddy ,
Alex A. Volinsky ,
Christopher L. Frewin ,
Chris Locke  and
Stephen E. Saddow
Jayadeep Deva Reddy
Affiliation:
jdevared@mail.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ENB118, Tampa, FL, 33620, United States
Alex A. Volinsky
Affiliation:
volinsky@eng.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ENB118, Tampa, FL, 33620, United States
Christopher L. Frewin
Affiliation:
clfrewin@eng.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Department of Electrical Engineering, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ENB118, Tampa, FL, 33620, United States
Chris Locke
Affiliation:
clocke@mail.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Department of Electrical Engineering, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ENB118, Tampa, FL, 33620, United States
Stephen E. Saddow
Affiliation:
sadow@eng.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Department of Electrical Engineering, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ENB118, Tampa, FL, 33620, United States
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Abstract

There is a technological need for hard thin films with high elastic modulus and fracture toughness. Silicon carbide (SiC) fulfills such requirements for a variety of applications at high temperatures and for high-wear MEMS. A detailed study of the mechanical properties of single crystal and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films grown on Si substrates was performed by means of nanoindentation using a Berkovich diamond tip. The thickness of both the single and polycrystalline SiC films was around 1-2 μm. Under indentation loads below 500 μN both films exhibit Hertzian elastic contact without plastic deformation. The polycrystalline SiC films have an elastic modulus of 457 GPa and hardness of 33.5 GPa, while the single crystalline SiC films elastic modulus and hardness were measured to be 433 GPa and 31.2 GPa, respectively. These results indicate that polycrystalline SiC thin films are more 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.

Keywords

microelectro-mechanical (MEMS)elastic propertieschemical vapor deposition (CVD) (deposition)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1049: Symposium AA – Fundamentals of Nanoindentation and Nanotribology IV , 2007 , 1049-AA03-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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