Bending vibrations of semiconductor wafers with local heat sources

Experimental and theoretical analysis of temperature fields generated by the pulsed current heating of metallization paths on a semiconductor wafer surface is performed. It is shown that any step change in the heating power causes bending vibrations of the wafer. Within the safety margins for semiconductor device operation, the vibration amplitude is proportional to the step amplitude. The damping factor for the entire wave packet is found (Γ=1103 s^?1), and frequency components of acoustic radiation excited in a 300-µm-thick silicon wafer are determined.