Evaluation of strained-silicon by electron backscattering pattern measurement: Comparison study with UV-raman measurement and edge force model calculation

We demonstrate the results of strain (stress) evaluation obtained from electron backscattering pattern (EBSP) measurement for samples of a strained Si-on-insulator (SSOI) and a Si substrate with a patterned SiN film. Two-dimensional stress distributions were obtained in 40 ×40 μm ² areas of the SSOI. The biaxial stress state was also obtained in the SSOI. Furthermore, clear cross-hatch contrast was observed, especially in the distribution of shear stress S_xy , in contrast to with the other distributions of normal stress S_xx and S_yy . One- and two-dimensional stress distributions in the Si substrate with the patterned SiN film were also obtained from EBSP measurement. Moreover, the results were compared with those of UV-Raman measurement and edge force model calculation, and were found to have a good correlation with each other. EBSP measurement was used to measure the complicated biaxial stress including the shear stress in a sample with a 150-nm-wide space pattern. We can conclude that EBSP measurement is a useful method for precisely measuring stress with high spatial resolution.