Film-edge-induced stress in silicon substrates

Stress fields in silicon substrates, induced by edges of silicon nitride films, were studied by experimentally observing the distribution of indentation-injected dislocation half-loops in the vicinity of the film edge. From this distribution, the stress field was obtained by applying the method of analysis recently introduced by the author. The results were compared to the theoretical stress field due to a line force (an approximation) tangential to the boundary of a half-space, with good agreement.