Spatially transient stress effects in thin films by X-ray diffraction

Abstract

We present a review of the application of diffraction stressstrain analysis to small volumes. For cases in which the material properties andor the stress state are not homogeneous, traditional approaches may yield erroneous stress results. On the other hand, with proper care, relevant mechanical information about the system can be obtained. Through the use of conventional and synchrotron-based X-ray methods, we can determine the amount of strain transfer between thin film features that possess heterogeneous stress distributions and the underlying substrate. Two examples of such studies are presented. The resulting data are used to assess the validity of several models often used to predict the mechanical behavior in thin filmsubstrate composites. © 2005 International Centre for Diffraction Data.