Tensile Stress in Buckled Metal-Plated Silicon Whisker

Abstract

A deformation and a breakdown after buckling of metal films plated on silicon whisker were studied. The tensile stress of deformed column with one end fixed and the other pinned at maximum curvature, F(α)_max, was derived, and each F(α)_max of silicon whisker and plated metal films was calculated. When F(α)_max exceeds tensile strength of constituent metal film, a breakdown is occurred. Critical load for buckling and overdrive at breakdown can be estimated with elastic constant, distance from neutral plane, and thickness of metal film, and length of silicon whisker.