TY - JOUR
T1 - Energy-loss mechanism of single-crystal silicon microcantilever due to surface defects generated during plasma processing
AU - Wada, Akira
AU - Yanagisawa, Yuuki
AU - Altansukh, Batnasan
AU - Kubota, Tomohiro
AU - Ono, Takahito
AU - Yamasaki, Satoshi
AU - Samukawa, Seiji
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - The mechanism behind the degradation of the mechanical properties of silicon (Si) microcantilevers caused by plasma-induced surface defects was investigated. The resonant frequency (f) and quality factor (Q factor) were deteriorated by defects generated after irradiating Ar plasma. We found that Young's modulus in the surface region was decreased after the plasma irradiation, but this does not explain the drastic change to the resonant frequency. The decrease could be explained by using a model in which a surface defect layer causes energy dissipation. Hydrogen annealing at 450 °C and rapid thermal annealing at 1000 °C could not repair the mechanical properties degraded by the plasma irradiation. After annealing, Young's modulus was not recovered while the dangling bonds were diminished, because the annealing could not restore the crystalline structure of the silicon. These results indicate that extensive defects such as dislocations or amorphous phases may be generated during plasma irradiation, causing energy dissipation. Since the degraded mechanical property in the plasma processes cannot be restored by annealing, it is important to prevent any damage from occurring at any stage of the processes.
AB - The mechanism behind the degradation of the mechanical properties of silicon (Si) microcantilevers caused by plasma-induced surface defects was investigated. The resonant frequency (f) and quality factor (Q factor) were deteriorated by defects generated after irradiating Ar plasma. We found that Young's modulus in the surface region was decreased after the plasma irradiation, but this does not explain the drastic change to the resonant frequency. The decrease could be explained by using a model in which a surface defect layer causes energy dissipation. Hydrogen annealing at 450 °C and rapid thermal annealing at 1000 °C could not repair the mechanical properties degraded by the plasma irradiation. After annealing, Young's modulus was not recovered while the dangling bonds were diminished, because the annealing could not restore the crystalline structure of the silicon. These results indicate that extensive defects such as dislocations or amorphous phases may be generated during plasma irradiation, causing energy dissipation. Since the degraded mechanical property in the plasma processes cannot be restored by annealing, it is important to prevent any damage from occurring at any stage of the processes.
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U2 - 10.1088/0960-1317/23/6/065020
DO - 10.1088/0960-1317/23/6/065020
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84878142740
VL - 23
JO - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
JF - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
SN - 0960-1317
IS - 6
M1 - 065020
ER -