Methods for mechanical characterization of thin films with microbeams and microbridges

Numerous characterization techniques of the residual stress and the Young's modulus of thin films based on the use of micromechanical devices have bee n proposed in the litterature. After a short review of these methods, the p erformances and limits of those exploiting the static deformations or the v ibrations of cantilever microbeams and microbridges fabricated in the film under investigation are analyzed in details. Some solutions are proposed to improve their accuracy when they are applied to real microdevices whose ge ometry is imperfect.