DOI: 10.1126/science.256.5063.1537. Slow Crack Growth in Single-Crystal Silicon

Slow Crack Growth in Single-Crystal Silicon

10.1126/science.256.5063.1537

Crossref journal-article

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Science (221)

Abstract

Time-dependent crack growth has been measured on a precracked, single-crystal silicon cantilever beam 75 micrometers long that was excited at resonance. Growth of the precrack changes the resonant frequency of the beam, which is correlated to crack length. The measured steady-state crack growth rate was as slow as 2.9 × 10 –13 meter per second, although the apparatus can measure crack growth rates as low as 10 –15 meter per second. It is postulated that static fatigue of the native surface silica layer is the mechanism for crack growth. These experiments demonstrate the possibility of rate-dependent failure of silicon devices and the applicability of linear elastic fracture mechanics to small-scale micromechanical devices. The results indicate that slow crack growth must therefore be considered when evaluating the reliability of thin-film silicon structures.

Bibliography

Connally, J. A., & Brown, S. B. (1992). Slow Crack Growth in Single-Crystal Silicon. Science, 256(5063), 1537â1539.

Authors 2

J. A. Connally (first)
S. B. Brown (additional)

References 17 Referenced 158

Bhaduri, S. B., Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics: 327 (1983). / Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics (1983)
Broek, D., Elementary Engineering Fracture Mechanics: CH13 (1978). / Elementary Engineering Fracture Mechanics (1978)
CHEN, C.P., FRACTURE-TOUGHNESS OF SILICON, AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY BULLETIN 59: 469 (1980). / AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY BULLETIN (1980)
CHEN C. P. NASSA TECHNCAL BRIEF 10 (1986).
CHEN, T.J., THE FRACTURE OF SINGLE-CRYSTAL SILICON UNDER SEVERAL LIQUID ENVIRONMENTS, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY 63: 225 (1980). (10.1111/j.1151-2916.1980.tb10697.x) / JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY (1980)
Connally, J. A., Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Sensors and Actuators: 953 (1991). / Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Sensors and Actuators (1991)
EWART, L, CRACK-PROPAGATION IN CERAMICS UNDER CYCLIC LOADS, JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 22: 1173 (1987). (10.1007/BF01233107) / JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE (1987)
Fan, L. S., IEEE Micro- Electro-Mechanical Systems Workshop: 40 (1989). / IEEE Micro- Electro-Mechanical Systems Workshop (1989)
Ghandhi, S. K., VLSI Fabrication Principles: CH7 (1983). / VLSI Fabrication Principles (1983)
JOHANSSON, S, FRACTURE TESTING OF SILICON MICROELEMENTS INSITU IN A SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPE, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 63: 4799 (1988). (10.1063/1.340471) / JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS (1988)
MICHALSKE, T.A., SLOW FRACTURE MODEL BASED ON STRAINED SILICATE STRUCTURES, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 56: 2686 (1984). (10.1063/1.333789) / JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS (1984)
Murakami S. Stress Intensity Factors Handbook (1987).
THOULESS, M.D., STRESS-CORROSION CRACKING IN SILICON, APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 56: 1962 (1990). (10.1063/1.103035) / APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS (1990)
WEIHS, T.P., MECHANICAL DEFLECTION OF CANTILEVER MICROBEAMS - A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR TESTING THE MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF THIN-FILMS, JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH 3: 931 (1988). (10.1557/JMR.1988.0931) / JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH (1988)
Wiederhorn, S. M., Subcritical Crack Growth in Ceramics, Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics 2: 613 (1974). / Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics / Subcritical Crack Growth in Ceramics (1974)
10.1126/science.1962192
WONG, B, MICROINDENTATION FOR FRACTURE AND STRESS-CORROSION CRACKING STUDIES IN SINGLE-CRYSTAL SILICON, JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY 134: 2254 (1987). (10.1149/1.2100861) / JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY (1987)

Dates

Type	When
Created	18 years, 10 months ago (Oct. 5, 2006, 7:03 p.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 12, 2024, 4:03 p.m.)
Indexed	3 weeks, 5 days ago (Aug. 6, 2025, 8:48 a.m.)
Issued	33 years, 2 months ago (June 12, 1992)
Published	33 years, 2 months ago (June 12, 1992)
Published Print	33 years, 2 months ago (June 12, 1992)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Connally_1992, title={Slow Crack Growth in Single-Crystal Silicon}, volume={256}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.256.5063.1537}, DOI={10.1126/science.256.5063.1537}, number={5063}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Connally, J. A. and Brown, S. B.}, year={1992}, month=jun, pages={1537–1539} }

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