Margariti Eleni, Bruckbauer Jochen, Winkelmann Aimo, Guilhabert Benoit, Gunasekar Naresh-Kumar, Trager-Cowan Carol, Martin Robert, Strain Michael
Institute of Photonics, Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1RD, UK.
Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK.
Materials (Basel). 2025 May 17;18(10):2335. doi: 10.3390/ma18102335.
Silicon, being the fundamental material for modern semiconductor devices, has seen continuous advancements to enhance its electrical and mechanical properties. Strain engineering is a well-established technique for improving the performance of silicon-based devices. In this paper, we propose a simple method for inducing and permanently maintaining strain in silicon through pure physical bending. By subjecting the silicon substrate to a controlled bending process, we demonstrate the generation of strain levels that persist even after the removal of external stress, with a maximum strain value of 0.4%. We present a comprehensive study of the mechanics behind this phenomenon, a full finite element mechanical model, and experimental verification of the bending-induced strain in Si membranes using electron backscatter diffraction measurements. Our findings show the potential of this approach for strain engineering in high-performance silicon-based technologies without resorting to complex and expensive fabrication techniques.
硅作为现代半导体器件的基础材料，一直在不断发展以提升其电学和力学性能。应变工程是一种成熟的用于提高硅基器件性能的技术。在本文中，我们提出了一种通过纯物理弯曲在硅中诱导并永久保持应变的简单方法。通过对硅衬底进行可控的弯曲过程，我们证明了即使在去除外部应力后，应变水平依然存在，最大应变值为0.4%。我们对这一现象背后的力学原理进行了全面研究，建立了完整的有限元力学模型，并使用电子背散射衍射测量对硅膜中弯曲诱导应变进行了实验验证。我们的研究结果表明，这种方法在高性能硅基技术的应变工程中具有潜力，无需借助复杂且昂贵的制造技术。
