Stress and structural images of microindented silicon by Raman microscopy

The microline focus spectrometer (MiFS) Raman imaging process is described and is used to investigate stress and structure defect patterns in micro-indented single-crystal silicon. Raman intensity, frequency, and bandwidth images are reported with 0.3-mu m pixel resolution, which reveal residual compressive stress distributions around the indentation site and areas of tensile stress at the crack tips. A previously unreported annular structural defect region, remote from the indent site, is observed in images where the indenter tip edges are aligned with the [110] direction of the silicon crystal.