Mechanical properties of thin film silicon carbide

Silicon carbide is a very attractive material for a variety of applications. Originally considered for use in high power and high temperature electronics because of its large bandgap, designers of MEMS are now considering use of silicon carbide because of its stability at high temperatures, resistance to corrosives, high stiffness, and radiation resistance. However, as with any new structural material, its mechanical properties must be measured for design information. This research measures the elastic modulus, strength, and Poisson's ratio of two different silicon carbides using microtensile testing. One material is a 0.5-1 mum thick film from Case Western Reserve University. Preliminary results give an average of 420 GPa for elastic modulus, a strength of 1.2 GPa, and a Poisson's ratio of 0.19. The second material is from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an average thickness of 30 microns. Preliminary results show an elastic modulus of 430 GPa, a strength of 0.49 GPa, and a Poisson's ratio of 0.24. In addition to the most recent results, techniques used to obtain these results, microstructure investigations, and a comparison of the materials are detailed.