Deformation field in single-crystal fields semiconductor substrates causedby metallization features

The results of an x-ray microdiffraction study of the deformation field sur rounding Ni thin film pads on a 111-type Si wafer are reported. The strain fields were mapped by measuring the Si 333 reflection intensities over an a rea containing several pads. The positions of the pads were simultaneously determined by recording the Ni K alpha fluorescence as a function of positi on. The results indicate that, contrary to the results from analytical solu tions and finite-element models, the position of maximum strain contrast is slightly outside the pad edge. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0 003-6951(99)02516-4].