Abstract
The residual stress in silicon substrates after thermal oxidation is discussed experimentally. Microscopic Raman spectroscopy is used for the stress measurement. A 1-μm-diameter Ar+laser beam is irradiated into the silicon substrate and the back-scattered light is detected by a photon multiplier. It is confirmed that the peak position of the Raman spectra shifted almost linearly with existing stress. After plane oxidation, tensile stress occurred near the silicon substrate surface due mainly to the volume expansion of the newly grown oxide film. However, complicated stress change occur-red in the substrate after local thermal oxidation. The stress change is explained by considering the curvature change of the Si/SiO2 interface during local thermal oxidation.
