Nanoscale silicon-on-insulator deformation induced by stressed liner structures

Rotation and strain fields were mapped across silicon-on-insulator (SOI) regions induced by overlying stressed Si3N4 features using x-ray nanobeam diffraction. The distribution in SOI tilt exhibited an antisymmetric distribution with a maximum magnitude of 7.9 milliradians, representing one of the first direct measurements of the lattice tilt conducted in situ within buried layers using a spot size of less than 100 nm. The measured rotation distribution corresponds to simulated values generated by boundary element method modeling, indicating that the strain transfer into the underlying SOI primarily induces elastic deformation. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.