The "x-ray tensile test" is the combination of the standard uniaxial tensile test with x-ray diffraction techniques. In this test, in addition to the mechanical stress-strain values usually obtained from a tensile test, one measures the x-ray strain and stress in the diffracting regions of the sample. In multilayer thin films or in multiphase materials, x-ray diffraction enables the determination of strains and stresses in the individual layers or phases. Correlation of the x-ray data with the mechanical stress-strain values may be used to analyze strain and load partitioning within the specimen. In this paper an extended theoretical analysis of this technique and its application to evaporated Cu films on Ni substrates is presented.
The mechanical response of a specimen incorporating thin films is dictated by a combination of fundamental mechanical parameters such as Young's moduli of the individual layers, and by configurational parameters such as adhesion strength at the interface(s), residual stress distribution and other process dependent factors. In most systems, the overall response will be dominated by the properties of the (much thicker) substrate. Failure within the individual layers, on the other hand, is dependent on the local strain distributions and can not be predicted from the substrate values alone. To better understand the mechanical response of these systems, the strain within the individual layers of the thin film system must be measured and correlated with applied stresses. Phase selectivity of X-ray stress/strain analysis techniques is well suited for this purpose. In this paper, we will review the use of the traditional x-ray stress/strain analysis methods for the determination of the mechanical properties of thin film systems.
We report the results of a recent study where nickel substrates electroplated with chromium were loaded in-situ on an x-ray diffractometer. This technique allows determination of lattice spacings in the vicinity of the interface for both the film and the substrate as a function of the applied load. We used such lattice parameter data, SEM observations of the surface and x-ray peak breadth data to study the partitioning of deformation between the film and the substrate. The data indicates progressive loss of adhesion between the film and the substrate with increasing deformation. We observe significant effect of electroplating residual stresses on the mechanical behavior of the system. The loss of adhesion between the film and the substrate coupled with the initial residual stress profile causes an apparent 'negative Poisson's ratio' for the film during initial stages of the loading. This effect disappears with cyclic loading and unloading.
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