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

Single crystal 3C-SiC films were grown oil (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 oil (100)Si so that a comparison with monocrystaline 3C-SiC. also grown oil (100)Si, could be made. The mechanical properties of single crystal and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films grown oil Si substrates were measured by means of namoindentation 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 mu m thick single crystal 3C-SiC grown Oil (100)Si under similar conditions resulted in a small degree of bow with only 9 mu m of deflection for a cantilever of 700 mu m length with all estimated tensile Film stress of 300 MPa. Single crystal 3C-SiC films oil (111)Si substrates have the highest elastic and plastic properties, although due to high residual stress they tend to crack and delaminate.