Residual stress/strain analysis in thin films by X-ray diffraction

Residual stresses are found in the majority of multilayer thin film structures used in modem technology. The measurement and modeling of such stress fields and the elucidation of their effects on structural reliability and device operation have been a “growth area” in the literature, with contributions from authors in various scientific and engineering disciplines.

In this article the measurement of the residual stresses in thin film structures with X-ray diffraction techniques is reviewed and the interpretation of such data and their relationship to mechanical reliability concerns are discussed.